BCHR Ref: 07030100

BCHR Ref: 07030100

Reported brutal beating of civilians by special security forces and alleged political recruitment of Iraqi Sunnis into special security forces

Bahrain Center for Human Rights
1 March 2007
BCHR Ref: 07030100

Beating of civilians by special security forces

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) calls for an investigation into allegations regarding the brutal beating of a Bahraini citizen Saeed Ibrahim (32 years) from Sanabis.

According to eye witnesses, a busload of special secret security forces (notorious for using excessive force against civilians) entered the village of Sanabis last weekend, snatched Ibrahim from his family's grocery shop and beat him brutally, leaving him bleeding.

Similar violations have occurred in Bani Jamrah and other villages in Bahrain. Villagers claimed that the special security agents were speaking Arabic with an Iraqi accent.

By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
Published: 27th February 2007

EFFORTS by a Shura Council member to bring in automatic deportation for foreign beggars were blocked by his colleagues yesterday.

The council yesterday approved a new law that will provide beggars and homeless people shelter for 10 days, while the Labour Ministry finds them work.

It was approved by parliament last year and will now go to His Majesty King Hamad for ratification.

However, Shura Council member Sayed Habib Hashim wanted to add an article that stated foreigners caught under those circumstances would face automatic deportation.

BCHR cautiously welcomes the release of Leaflet Detainees; calls for repeal of Penal Code of 1976 and Press Law

Bahrain Center for Human Rights
26 February 2007
Ref: 07022601

Suicide rate sparks concern
Published: 25th February 2007

HUMAN rights activists are calling for an investigation into the number of suicides among expatriate workers in Bahrain.

Officials from the now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) are demanding decisive action following a spate of cases since the start of the year.

At least four migrant workers have taken their lives, including three Indians and one Bangladeshi.

BCHR vice-president Nabeel Rajab said serious steps should be taken to look at the causes of such acts to try and prevent more from happening.

"Suicide attempts are recognised as a cry for help," said Mr Rajab.

Reform in Bahrain: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?

A Panel Discussion at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)

Washington, February 13, 2007

An intervention by:

Abdul-hadi Al-Khawaja, President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen.

When the British government decided to pull out from East of Suez in the late sixties, the United Nations sent a fact finding mission to Bahrain to find whether the people of Bahrain wanted their land to be a part of Iran or to be an independent state.

As a part of a campaign to encourage the Shi’a majority in Bahrain to chose independence under a democratic rule of the Al-Khalifa Family, the ruler of Bahrain, the father of the current king, visited Iraq and paid a special visit to the grand Shi’a religious leader Sayed-Mohsen Al-Hakeem, at his residence in Najaf. The outcome of the UN mission was an independent Bahrain.

Prime Minister commends treason accusations against BCHR president. BCHR demands investigation of Al-Bandar Scandal, securing of freedom of expression, and an end to harassment and prosecution of activists

Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR)
25th February 2007
Ref: 07022501

Villagers in protest over camp report
Published: 24th February 2007

MANAMA: About 100 villagers staged a peaceful protest yesterday to repudiate an article in the Press that they had been hosting a militant training camp.

The people of Bani Jamra stood on the main road to their village holding placards that said there was no militant training camp in their area.

Several newspapers published a story on Tuesday saying there was such a camp in Bani Jamra.

One was illustrated with a photograph, which appeared simultaneously in two other newspapers, that was supposedly taken at the training camp. Taken outdoors, the photograph showed no people, but a box of bottles that the caption claimed to be Molotov cocktails.

Middle East News
Suicides among migrant workers in Bahrain are highlighted
By DPA
Feb 23, 2007, 14:31 GMT

Manama - A human rights agency in Bahrain on Friday expressed extreme concern over reports of high numbers of attempted suicides among migrant workers - mostly from the Indian subcontinent - since the beginning of the year.

The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), in a statement, urged that serious and decisive measures be taken to establish the causes behind such actions and prevent further incidents.

Two Indians, and a third unidentified Asian man had committed suicide last January, according to the BCHR.

Bahrain : Further protests, tension and more arrests of Juveniles among citizens

Committee of Solidarity with Activists and Detainees of Conscience in Bahrain

Updated Detainees list

At exactly `o'clock this afternoon, dozens of Bani Jamrah residence made a sit-in protesting at what was published last Monday-February 20, 2007-of the Bahraini Ministry Interior spokesman disclosing alleged a training youth camp aimed to destabilize the security, taking Bani Jamrah as headquarter. This allegation has been frowned by personalities and institutions of the society, including those of Bani Jamrah. It was discovered that the image of the container "empty bottles Mullotov" distributed by the security authorities on the newspapers, is what was published more than a year ago on one of the pages of "Alwatan" Bahraini newspaper. This has emptied the allegation of any credibility.

Camp reports 'exaggerated'
Published: 23rd February 2007

MANAMA: The Interior Ministry last night denounced as widely exaggerated the coverage of a suspected terrorist camp in Bani Jamra in some newspapers.

The ministry's statement on the camp was based on confessions by a suspect and did not aim to condemn any person, authority or a specific area as such an incident could have taken place anywhere else in the country, a ministry source said.

He urged newspapers to be more accurate and objective while publishing any of the ministry's announcements, and called on them to refer to official statements which are meant to inform residents on issues regarding their safety and security.

From Monsters and Critics.com

Middle East News
Heavy clashes between protests and police in Bahrain
By DPA
Feb 23, 2007, 9:59 GMT

Sitra, Bahrain - Several Shiite villages in Bahrain witnessed heavy clashes between protesters and anti-riot police on overnight Friday, leading to the arrest of at least 10 people.

The most serious of the clashes took place in Sitra, south of the capital Manama, where more than a 100 protesters blocked village roads and set fires.

The protesters also burned a car and exploded two gas cylinders during the clashes, which lasted well into the early morning hours.

Human Rights First
22 February 2007
http://www.humanrightsfirst.info/pdf/07222-hrd-ltr-king-bchr.pdf

In a letter sent to the King of Bahrain, Human Rights First calls for an immediate end to the persecution against the Bahraini Center for Human Rights and its members. The chair of the group, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, was arrested and interrogated on February 2 for several hours. The arrest of Mr. al-Khawaja is only the latest in a series of measures that have targeted the BCHR in what appears to be a pattern of persecution against the organization.

23 February 2007

The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights is extremely concerned to learn that since the beginning of this year four migrant workers have committed suicide in Bahrain.

The BCHR urges that serious and decisive measures are taken to investigate the causes behind such actions, and that steps are taken to work towards preventing such incidents from happening again.

On January 3 an Indian man’s body was discovered after he hung himself from the ceiling fan in his Hoora apartment.

War on human trafficking vow
By SOMAN BABY
Published: 19th February 2007

BAHRAIN's labour and criminal court systems are to be developed to better deal with all forms of illegal trafficking, a top government official pledged yesterday.The passing of a new anti-trafficking legislation will be a major step forward in combating human trafficking in Bahrain, said Foreign Ministry assistant under-secretary Dr Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, who is also the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking chairman.

"Bahrain is adamant that abuses are rectified and abusers brought to justice in accordance with existing laws," he said in an opening session of a training programme entitled Combating Labour Trafficking in Bahrain.

Woman is 'attacked by sponsor'
By mandeep singh
Published: 17 February 2007

manama: A maid and her sponsor were being questioned last night after she claimed her employer physically assaulted her. Ethiopian Mareshet Agme Beti, 22, was brought to the Budaiya police station by members of the Migrant Workers' Protection Society (MWPS).

She alleged she was so badly beaten by her sponsor, an Arab national, that she attempted suicide on at least three occasions.

The sponsor denied the allegations and claimed all the wounds on the maid's body were self-inflicted. The maid had never been treated badly, he said.

US court's Bay ruling worries activists
By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 22nd February 2007

HUMAN rights activists in Bahrain have reacted with disappointment to the news that a US appeals court has upheld an anti-terrorism clause that says Guantanamo Bay inmates cannot challenge their detention.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia this week ruled in favour of the stipulation being kept in the Military Commissions Act.

It also said that the act does not violate the US constitution and that it was legal to deny hearings to any non-US citizens who are deemed "enemy combatants" even if they were to be detained forever.

Cost of living beats salary increases in Bahrain
Wages went up 13 per cent but the cost of living increased by 19 per cent in Bahrain last year, according to a new survey.
The cost of living in the Gulf is outstripping salary increases, leading to an increasingly disgruntled workforce and a more volatile job market. Salaries in the region went up by 15% on average in 2006, but the cost of living shot up by 24% - and living expenses went up the most in the UAE.

That was the verdict of a comprehensive online study of Gulf-based professionals by the Middle East's '#1 jobsite' Bayt.com and leading market research firm YouGovSiraj. The survey interviewed a cross-section of employees in the six GCC countries across more than 20 industry categories, from automotive to pharmaceuticals.

MPs furious!
By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
Published: 21st February 2007

A ROW blew up yesterday as MPs protested over the government's alleged rejection of 25 out of 27 proposed laws put forward by parliament during its last four-year term.

It erupted as parliament secretary-general Nawar Al Mahmood revealed that the government had sent a letter, outlining 12 of its own proposed laws which it wanted parliament to complete discussion on.

MPs also heard that just two out of the 27 proposed laws forwarded to the government by parliament in the last session were being considered for approval.

Middle East News
Bahraini police, protestors clash for second night after arrest
By DPA
Feb 19, 2007, 1:39 GMT

Abu Saiba, Bahrain - Bahraini anti-riot police and protesters clashed for the second straight night late Sunday in the Shiite village Abu Saiba, west of the capital Manama, after authorities detained a village youth.

Radhi Ali Radhi, who is in his early 20s, was arrested Saturday at his home on suspicion that he took part in a riot earlier in the week in the nearby Shiite village of Bani Jamarah, where anti-riot police came under attack by Molotov cocktails.

He was detained following a dawn raid, which provoked relatives and friends to organize a protest the same day in front of the village entrance to demand his release. His family had tried to see him at the police station but were denied and turned away without being given a reason for his arrest.

War on human trafficking vow

BAHRAIN's labour and criminal court systems are to be developed to better deal with all forms of illegal trafficking, a top government official pledged yesterday.The passing of a new anti-trafficking legislation will be a major step forward in combating human trafficking in Bahrain, said Foreign Ministry assistant under-secretary Dr Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, who is also the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking chairman.

"Bahrain is adamant that abuses are rectified and abusers brought to justice in accordance with existing laws," he said in an opening session of a training programme entitled Combating Labour Trafficking in Bahrain.

Bahraini police, protestors clash over arrest
By DPA
Feb 17, 2007, 22:47 GMT

Abu Saiba, Bahrain - A new wave of clashes between Bahraini police and protesters broke out Saturday night in the Shiite village Abu Saiba, west of the capital Manama, after the authorities arrested a youth earlier in the day.

Radhi Ali Radhi, who is in his early 20s, was arrested at his home on suspicion that he took part in a riot in the Shiite village of Bani Jamarah earlier in the week where anti-riot police came under attack by Molotov cocktails.

The protests on Wednesday occurred on the anniversary of democratic reforms in the country.

BCHR Meeting with Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja from the BCHR visiting Freedom House in Washington DC

Abdulhad Al-Khawaja from the BCHR and Dr Salah Albandar in Seminar at George Washington University

Abdulhad Al-Khawaja from the BCHR and Dr Salah Albandar in Seminar at George Washington University

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Nabeel Rajab from BCHR Meeting in Carnegie Endowment for International Peace with
Dr. Michele Dunne, Senior Associate
Julia Choucair, Associate, Middle East program
Ms. Dina Bishara, Junior Fellow
Mr. Michael Grosack, Junior Fellow

BCHR seminar held at the American Enterprise Institute, Washington DC, on the subject: Reform in Bahrain: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?

BCHR seminar held at the American Enterprise Institute, Washington DC, on the subject: Reform in Bahrain: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?

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Listen to audio only (mp3)

Video of seminar held at the American Enterprise Institute, Washington DC, on the subject: Reform in Bahrain: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back? (February 13, 2007)

Speakers are:

• Salah al-Bandar, Gulf Centre for Democratic Development
• Abdul Hadi Al-Khawaja, Bahrain Center for Human Rights
• Toby Jones, Swarthmore College

REFORM IN BAHRAIN
On the Path towards Democracy
Dr Salah Al Bander
Secretary General
GCDD

American Enterprise Institute
Washington DC, 13 February 2007

Thank you, Chairperson Ms Pletka,

I want to commend the AEI for holding this discussion panel about the Reform in Bahrain. We express our appreciation for this opportunity to speak to you today about our efforts to let Bahrain become a sustainable, striving, and stable democracy.

Blogger gears up for court battle
By Geoffrey bew
Published: 14 February 2007

BAHRAINI blogger Mahmood Al Yousif has vowed to come out fighting after Municipalities and Agriculture Minister Mansoor Bin Rajab decided not to drop a criminal case against him.

Earlier this week, he removed part of an article on his website, in which he had criticised Mr Bin Rajab and his ministry, following several days of negotiations through a mediator.

However, he has since restored the article to its original version after learning that the minister would not withdraw his complaint.

The blogger previously told the GDN that Mr Bin Rajab agreed to drop the case if he erased the offending material, but yesterday said he had since changed his mind.

Gulf Daily News
By rebecca torr
Published: 13 February 2007

A HUMAN rights committee is calling for the immediate release of all "activists and detainees of conscience", following the arrests of nine Bahrainis.

Six were arrested for staging a sit-in at Tubli and the other three following a clash with security personnel at the King Fahad Causeway.

Both incidents happened last Friday.

The six were protesting over the imprisonment of two Bahraini men who were sentenced last month for distributing subversive literature during the national elections.

Dentist Mohammed Saeed Al Sahlawi, 35, was sentenced to one year in prison, while insurance sales executive Hussain Abdulaziz Al Habshi, 32, was jailed for six months.

Activists to meet prisoners' lawyers
By geoffrey bew
Published: 12th February 2007

TWO Bahrain human rights activists will meet lawyers in the US representing the country's remaining detainees in Guantanamo Bay on Friday.

Senior officials from the now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) are making the trip to discuss new strategies on how to bring the two men home.

President Abdulhadi Al Khawaja and vice-president Nabeel Rajab are travelling to New York for a two-day meeting with legal team head Joshua Colangelo-Bryan and other officials.

An unnamed BCHR representative based in Washington will also join them for the two-day visit.

Bahraini blogger stands firm by contentious remark
http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10103044.html

02/09/2007 09:45 PM | By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief

Manama: A legal case involving Bahrain's popular blogger Mahmoud Al Yousuf and the Minister of Municipalities and Agriculture, Mansour Bin Rajab is likely to be closed this week after reconciliation efforts by the Bahrain Journalists Association, sources yesterday told Gulf News.

The compromise is such that the minister drops the case and Al Yousuf removes certain words from his original post. This would be based on a previous case between the information ministry and the blogger who has challenged a gag on articles related to a controversial report circulated in Bahrain last September. The minister last week took the blogger to court for publishing an article that he deemed offensive to his character and reputation.

Bahrain releases a blogger on bail
From our correspondent

9 February 2007

MANAMA — The Public Prosecutor yesterday released on bail a Bahraini national facing a libel case in connection with his article in a blog where he called the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture ‘stupid’. Blogger Mahmood Al Yousif was earlier also interrogated by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) following a defamation case filed by Minister Mansour Hassan bin Rajab.

“I received a call and was asked to report to the CID anti-economic crime unit. The officer was cooperative and offered me tea and then questioned me on that particular article in which I had described the minister as stupid,” he said following the interrogation by the CID. “When they told me that a libel case had been filed against me by the minister, I told them that I was exercising my right to express my views and brought to their attention that the Kingdom’s Constitution has guaranteed this freedom of expression to all citizens.”

Bahrain blogger faces prosecution for criticizing minister

Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Bahrain 09/02/2007
Ref: 07020900

The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights notes with growing concern the mounting number of attacks on freedom of expression in the country.

Columnist ready to face action for comments
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/02/08/10102682.html

02/08/2007 08:32 PM | By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief

Manama: A Bahraini columnist yesterday vowed not to apologise for harsh comments he published against the head of the Congregation of Shiite Scholars in Kuwait, saying that he was ready to face the threat of legal action.

The standoff now risks stoking sectarian tensions that have recently marred Bahrain's social and political life.

Writing in Akhbar Al Khaleej, controversial Sunni Islamist Hafedh Al Shaikh last week said the comments of Kuwaiti Shiite leader Mohammad Baqer Al Mahri about a prominent scholar Shaikh Yousuf Al Qaradawi were like "the buzzing of flies feeding on the carcasses of dead animals". He also accused the Shiite leader of possessing "a heart filled with deep hatred for Sunnis".

Extremist voices need silencing, says journalist
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/02/08/10102681.html

02/08/2007 08:32 PM | By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief

Manama: A Bahraini journalist who was verbally abused by disgruntled Shiites for covering the condolences offered at a pro-Baath society on the death of Iraqi former leader Saddam Hussain has called for strong action to put an end to the extremism creeping into Bahrain.

"We need to silence all the extremist voices seeking to terrorise and silence journalists for doing their job and for standing against sectarian divisions," Makki Hassan, a veteran Shiite journalist working for Akhbar Al Khaleej, said yesterday in a statement carried by his newspaper.

Women's Petition Committe president Ghada Jamsheer, Bahrain Center for Human Rights president Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, and Su’ad Fathallah discuss women's rights in Bahrain on Alhurra Television.

Issues discussed include Sharia courts, politicized judges and the lack of a personal status law.

After the interview, Ms. Fathallah, an abused divorcee, received several threats, some from the Public Prosecution. Details on the case are here:

• BCHR: Young divorcee is threatened for speaking out against Sharia courts, politicized judges and the lack of a personal status law
• The Media Line: Bahraini Divorcee Highlights Divorce Plight of Women

Hope for 'stateless' children
By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
Published: 7 February 2007

CHILDREN born to a Bahraini mother would automatically get Bahraini nationality, under an amendment to the Nationality Law proposed by parliament chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani yesterday.

Under the current law, children born to a Bahraini mother who is married to a foreigner do not automatically qualify for nationality.

Mr Al Dhahrani's proposal would mean automatic Bahraini nationality if either parent is Bahraini, whether the child is born here or abroad.

He said the Nationality Law, introduced in 1963, had not been amended since 1989 and was out of date. "Its articles are not in line with political and social changes the country is seeing," said Mr Al Dhahrani.

Sex-slaves probe
By EUNICE del ROSARIO
Published: 7 February 2007

OFFICIALS from four embassies were yesterday conducting their own investigations on whether some of the 10 Asian women rescued by police in a series of raids on suspected brothels are from their countries.

The Indonesian, Indian and Bangladeshi embassies in Bahrain and the Kuwait-based Sri Lankan Embassy's local representative said that none of them were informed of the pre-dawn vice raids carried out by police on Monday.

The Philippine Embassy tipped off police on Sunday after a Filipina blew the whistle on the racket after escaping.

07 February 2007
Sectarian tensions simmer in Bahrain
Violent clashes last week in Bahrain appear to bolster theories of a widening Shia-Sunni struggle in the Middle East, but critics of the ruling al-Khalifa dynasty tell ISN Security Watch that this is far from the case.
By Dominic Moran in Tel Aviv for ISN Security Watch (07/02/07)
Simmering Bahraini sectarian tensions erupted into violence again on Friday with security forces battling stone-throwing Shia protesters in several areas of the Gulf island kingdom.
The unrest was caused by the arrest of opposition activists and emphasizes the difficulties facing the Sunni al-Khalifa monarchy in establishing the credibility of recent reforms in an atmosphere embittered by ongoing allegations of sectarian discrimination and the Shia-Sunni struggle in Iraq.

Published: 06/02/2007 12:00 AM (UAE)

Bahraini minister optimistic about ties with opposition
Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief

Manama: A senior Bahraini government official with strong links to the opposition has expressed confidence that the tension that rocked the kingdom over the weekend would soon ease.

"I remain optimistic about developments in the country and I am convinced that the situation will improve. All that is needed is confidence-building measures," state minister for foreign affairs Nizar Al Baharna yesterday told Gulf News.

Clashes erupted between the police and rioters in some villages on Friday after three activists were detained for making speeches that the authorities deemed detrimental to state security and national unity. Hassan Meshema, leader of the Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy, Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja, chairman of the now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Centre and Shaker Mohammad were released in the evening, but clashes in which the police fired tear gas and protestors hurled stones and burnt tyres continued well into the night.

Two Bahraini opposition lawmakers, whose arrest earlier in the week sparked riots in several Shiite villages, on Sunday denied the charges brought against them and said that they were studying the possibility of not cooperating with the investigation.

Haq Movement Secretary General Hassan Mushaima and Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) President, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, were arrested on Friday February 2 on charges including "promoting change to the political system through illegitimate means."

Clashes erupted just hours after the two, along with another activist, were arrested. Several hundred of their supporters tried to march in Jidhafs, on the outskirts of Manama, to demand their release.

Opposition groups condemn arrest of three activists
http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10101872.html

02/04/2007 09:12 PM | By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief

Manama: Bahrain's simmering political feuds yesterday came out in the open, as the detention of three activists on Friday has widened the fissures between deputies and prompted charges that there were attempts to import Iraqi and Lebanese examples of unrest.

Six societies that constitute the spine of the opposition issued a joint statement condemning the arrest of Hassan Meshema, leader of Haq Movement of Liberties and Democracy, Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja, chairman of the now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Centre and Shaker Abdul Ali.

Bahrain arrests trigger clashes

MANAMA: Authorities in Bahrain detained three opposition activists and released them later yesterday, prompting clashes with the security forces in the Gulf state. Police fired tear-gas and rubber bullets to control a crowd of hundreds in Sanabas, a town northwest of Bahrain's capital, Manama, said a spokesman for rights group Haq. Security forces used teargas to disperse around 100 stone-throwing protestors in a mainly Shiite western suburb of the capital Manama, a correspondent said. An interior ministry statement confirmed that three opposition activists had been detained for "advocating regime change by illegitimate means" and for "incitement to hatred against the regime, couched in indecent language." Prosecutors had already started questioning the trio, ministry official Colonel Mohammed Rashed Bu Hamud said. Security sources named two of the three detainees as Hassen Meshema, leader of the opposition Movement of Liberties and Democracy, or Haq, and Abdel Hadi Al-Khawaja, chairman of the Bahraini Human Rights Centre, both of them Shiites. Opposition sources named the third as activist Shaker Abdel Al. Special police units seized the trio in morning raids on their homes, an emigre official of the Haq group, Abdel Jalil Senkis, told AFP by telephone from London. The authorities had been angered by a news conference the trio held on Monday in which they raised accusations levelled by an alleged British spy that a "secret organisation" existed within the government aimed at maintaining Sunni domination in the Gulf region, Senkis added. In a statement on the arrests, Haq said that Meshema and Al-Khawaja worked on "issues sensitive to the Bahraini authorities." The two have reported on a case dubbed "Bandargate" that sent shockwaves through this Gulf state, which hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. The case involves claims made by former government consultant Salah Al-Bandar, who alleged last year that top government officials were behind the use of electronic technology to rig the November elections in favour of Sunnis, the ruling Bahrain minority. The government denied the allegations and charged Al-Bandar, a Sunni Muslim, with sedition and expelled him from the country. Rajab also said the arrested activists had planned a conference in late February in Bahrain, inviting a US think-tank and others to discuss 'Bandargate'. Security officials declined to immediately comment on the arrests, saying only that an official statement will be issued later. Following the arrests, some 400 supporters of Haq staged demonstrations in Sanabas, northwest of the capital, Manama, Interior Ministry spokesman Mohammed bin Dina said. Haq spokesman Abdul-Jalil Al-Singace said special security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullet at the demonstrators, who originated in three different villages west of the capital. The demonstrators dispersed but later regrouped. "The three villages were besieged by the security forces and helicopters were seen roving over the area. We expect an escalation in confrontation in the coming hours," Al-Singace said. Haq is an opposition movement seeking democratic reform and greater rights for the Shiite Muslims who make up around 60 per cent of the Gulf kingdom's population but complain of discrimination by the Sunni leadership. Sudanese-born Salah Al-Bandar, who had worked as a consultant in a government department before making the accusations, was expelled from Bahrain in September. The following month, Bahrain's high court banned publication of any information on the purported plot. Last November, the Haq group charged in a letter to then UN chief Kofi Annan that the government planned to rig that month's parliamentary elections through gerrymandering and stuffing the electoral rolls with newly naturalised Sunnis of south Asian origin. - Agencies

Tension prevails a day after police clash with protesters
http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10101614.html

02/04/2007 12:04 AM | By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief

Manama: A tense calm reigned in Bahrain yesterday after hours of clashes between the police and rioters who were protesting the arrest of three activists on Friday morning.

The clashes in which the police used rubber bullets and tear gas and the protesters hurled stones, erupted at about 2.30pm after the Friday prayers in Sanabis and Daih, two Shiite villages in the Manama suburbs that have been the traditional scene for confrontations between angry youth and security staff.

http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10101587.html

02/03/2007 03:41 PM | Agencies

Manama: Bahrain will try two leading activists for sedition, the state-run news agency reported on Saturday.

The arrests of Haasan Mushaima, head of the Haq Movement for Liberty and Democratic Bahrain, and Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, sparked violent protests on Friday.

Independent activist Shaker Abdul Ali will also face trial, the source said.

A prosecution official said authorities accuse the men of distributing a report that alleges wrongdoing by the government.

Bahrain rights activists charged after their arrests spark protests

The Associated Press
Saturday, February 3, 2007
MANAMA, Bahrain
Authorities on Saturday charged three Bahraini human rights activists with trying to illegally change the kingdom's political system after their arrests sparked protests and clashes with police, Bahrain's state-run news agency reported.

At least two people were injured in demonstrations Friday northwest of Bahrain's capital, Manama, when police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control the crowd of hundreds, said Bahraini legislator Jalal Fairoz.

Arab and Egyptian Human Rights Organizations condemn the prevention of Bahraini Human Rights Activist by Security Service from Entering Egypt

Cairo - 31 January 2007

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (HRinfo) and Arab Program for Human Rights Activists (APHRA) condemn the prevention of Mohamed Al-Maskati, human rights activist and Director of Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) from entering Egypt today. The Cairo Airport Security Service held Al-Maskati in custody for more than 12 hours at the airport before he was deported back to Bahrain.

Al-Maskati (20 years-old) arrived at Cairo airport early this morning to participate in the seminar titled "The Role of Youth in Supporting Freedoms and Democracy" which is to be hold by BYSHR and APHRA today.

Activists’ Arrest Sparks Violent Protests in Bahrain
Mazen Mahdi, Arab News —

MANAMA, 3 February 2007 — Several hundred demonstrators yesterday clashed with authorities after the arrest of two key opposition figures along with a relatively unknown rights activist earlier in the morning. Police reportedly responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Hassan Mushaima, the leader of the Haq Democracy Movement, and Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, the outspoken head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), were arrested in separate raids at their homes around the same time. Rights groups identified the third detainee as independent activist Shaker Abdul-Hussein.

Three prominent rights activists arrested in Bahrain
http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Bahrain/10101409.html

02/03/2007 12:55 AM | AP

Manama: Several hundred demonstrators yesterday clashed with authorities, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowds, after police arrested three prominent human rights activists in separate raids in the capital, local rights groups said.

Authorities detained and questioned the leader of Bahrain's HAQ democracy movement, Hassan Mush-aima'a; the outspoken head of the Bahraini Centre for Human Rights, Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja; and independent rights activist Shaker Abdul Hussain, rights groups reported.

Airport ordeal for activist
By TARIQ KHONJI
Published: 2nd February 2007

A NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD Bahraini activist told of his ordeal at an Egyptian airport where he was detained for 14 hours without food and drink before being sent back home.

Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights president Mohammed Al Maskati, who had planned to join his mother for a holiday in Egypt, said he was never clearly told the reason he was denied entry at the Cairo International Airport.

"They gave me three different explanations at different times during the 14 hours I was held," he said.

"First they told me that my name was similar to someone else who they are not allowing to enter the country.

A protester takes cover as a riot police man takes aim during clashes in Manama February 2, 2007. Bahrain's riot police clashed with some 200 Shi'ite protesters in Manama on Friday after the arrest of a Shi'ite opposition figure and a human rights activist. REUTERS/Hamad Mohammed (BAHRAIN)
Reuters via Yahoo! News - Feb 02 8:57 AM

A protester runs away from tear gas fired by riot-police during clashes in Manama February 2, 2007. Bahrain's riot police clashed with some 200 Shi'ite protesters in Manama on Friday after the arrest of a Shi'ite opposition figure and a human rights activist. REUTERS/Hamad Mohammed (BAHRAIN)
Reuters via Yahoo! News - Feb 02 9:11 AM

Bahraini Shiites carry a wounded man during clashes with the special forces in Sanabis, south of the capital Manama. Authorities in Bahrain detained three opposition activists for agitating against the Sunni-led regime, prompting clashes with the security forces in the Shiite-majority Gulf state.(AFP/Adam Jan)
AFP via Yahoo! News - Fri Feb 2, 3:36 PM ET

Charges of Coup, Insulting the King & Circulating False Information

Demonstrations and Clashes With Security Forces Around the Country

Bahrain Center for Human Rights
2 February 2007
Ref: 07020201

This statement is an update to Ref: 07020200

After a 7 hour wait and interrogation, the President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Mr. Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, and Mr. Hassan Mushaima, the Secretary General of the Bahraini HAQ Democratic Movement as well as a third activist, Shaker Abdul-Hussein, were released on bail on Friday night. The charges against them are related to state security crimes including: an intention to change the governing system of the country, circulating false information, insulting the king and inciting hatred against the regime in accordance to articles 160, 165, 168, 172, 173 & 214 of the much criticized Bahraini Penal Code of 1976. If sentenced, the activist can face more than 10 years imprisonment.

The release of the activists came following the eruption of demonstrations and intense clashes with security forces in several different parts of the country in reponse to the arrests this morning.

Authorities in Bahrain detained three opposition activists for agitating against the Sunni-led regime, prompting clashes with the security forces in the Shiite-majority Gulf state.

Security forces used tear-gas to disperse around 100 stone-throwing protestors in a mainly Shiite western suburb of the capital Manama, an AFP correspondent witnessed.

An interior ministry statement confirmed that three opposition activists had been detained for "advocating regime change by illegimate means" and for "incitement to hatred against the regime, counched in indecent language."

Prosecutors questioned the trio, ministry official Colonel Mohammed Rashed Bu Hamud said, and the public prosecutor's office later announced they had been released on probation.

Bahraini Police Release 3 Activists

By REEM KHALIFA
The Associated Press
Friday, February 2, 2007; 3:23 PM

MANAMA, Bahrain -- Police released three rights activists whose detention earlier Friday sparked protests and clashes with police, a defense lawyer said.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control a crowd of hundreds in Sanabas, a town northwest of Bahrain's capital, Manama, said Abdul-Jalil al-Singace, a spokesman for the Haq rights group.

The tear gas drifted into a hospital in Jedhafas, a village next to Sanabas, causing discomfort for the patients, said town legislator Abdul-Jalil Khalil. There was no report of casualties among the protesters or police.

Protesters clash with Bahrain police after arrests
Friday 02 February 2007

MANAMA, (Reuters) - Bahrain's riot police clashed with some 200 Shi'ite protesters in the capital Manama on Friday after the arrest of a Shi'ite opposition figure and a human rights activist.
The police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the protesters who burned tyres and hurled stones at policemen while chanting anti-government slogans.
Some protesters said at least 10 people were wounded by rubber bullets. The number could not be confirmed by independent sources, but a Reuters witness saw one wounded protester.

Clashes involving security forces and Shiite villagers erupted in several Bahraini villages Friday after authorities detained two key opposition figures who have been outspoken critics of the government over the past several years.

The arrest of the two, along with a third unidentiified activist, prompted the largest bloc in parliament to call for an immediate session of both houses of the National Assembly.

"The arrests come as a real threat to the credibility of the reforms process," said a statement for the Islamic Shiite Al Wefaq Society which has 17 of the 40 seats in parliament.

Three human rights activists detained in Bahrain, rights groups say

Friday, February 2, 2007
MANAMA, Bahrain
Three prominent human rights activists were arrested in separate police raids early Friday in the Bahrain capital, local rights groups said.

Leader of Bahrain's HAQ democracy movement, Hassan Mushaima'a; the outspoken head of the Bahraini Center for Human Rights, Abdul-Hadi al-Khawaja, and independent rights activist Shaker Abdul-Hussein, were detained are questioned, rights groups reported.

Nabil Rajab of the Bahraini center said the three now await in custody whether the general prosecutor will raise charges against them.

Bahrain Center for Human Rights
2 Feb 2007
Ref: 07020200

URGENT ALERT

Mr. Alkhawaja was previously arrested in September 2004 after he gave a public lecture in which he criticized the Prime Minister of Bahrain. (See Human Rights Watch: Rights Center Closed as Crackdown Expands and Closure of BCHR).

Mr. Alkhawaja was due to travel to the United States later this month to deliver a lecture about political reform in Bahrain, at the American Enterprise Institute, Washington DC.

It is also being reported that Hassan Mushaima, the secretary general of the Haq Movement political society, has also been arrested.

The arrests come just a day after two political activists in the country (Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahlawi and Mr Hussain AbdulAziz Al Hebshi) were sentenced to prison for possessing leaflets. The leaflets, downloaded from an internet website, called on Bahrainis to boycott the November 2006 national elections. (See information regarding the Leaflet Detainees).

Further details will be posted on this post as they become available.