Violence used By Bahraini Riot police against protestors
BCHR: Labour Minister using migrant workers as scapegoat for government's economic failures.
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights strongly condemns recent comments made by the Labour Minister(http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/gulfimmigrationlabour), in which he warns that Gulf countries face danger of an "Asian tsunami" because of the high numbers of migrant workers upon which Gulf countries are reliant.
Minister Majid al-Alawi allegedly said the migrant workers presented "a danger worse than the atomic bomb or an Israeli attack".
"It is an irresponsible statement to suggest that migrant workers, who leave their families and homes behind to work and provide us essential services, and build our countries, are a danger to the citizens here," BCHR vice president Nabeel Rajab said.
"This kind of statement promotes racial hatred - and puts the blame for the government's own failure to deal with unemployment on the shoulders of the most vulnerable community in our country.
"We call on the Minister to retract this statement. We would hope a member of a government which sits on the United Nations Human Rights Council would demonstrate greater respect towards the dignity and rights of migrant workers to live and work among us in peace."
Maytham Bader Alshaik is Bahraini Activists that was tortured and sexually assaulted by the Bahraini police in January /2008
S. S. Police Severely beat Mr. Ahmed and break his jaw
When pleading for water he was force fed sand and pebbles
Urgent Appeal Ref.28/05/07
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) is shocked to find yet another victim of the Special Security (S. S.) Police in the hospital. Today we received information about 46 year-old Hameed Yousef Ahmed who is currently being treated in the military hospital because of injuries reportedly caused by S. S. police. Among his injuries are a broken tooth, and a broken jaw.
Mr Ahmed, an unemployed Bahraini, said that he was on his way home to Sanabis on the 21st of May when he saw young men running away from the S. S. police. Minutes later he was seized by the security police and beaten. He told the BCHR that he was then taken by the security forces to Sanabis graveyard and got more beatings. After that he was handed over to another group of the S. S. police who took him and another man (Alkhabbaz, Ref.24/05/07) to the Exhibition center roundabout, beating them all the way there. When they reached the roundabout the two men were thrown on the ground and beaten.
Amongst the non Bahraini S. S. police, there was one who was dressed in traditional Arab clothes and he looked Bahraini. This man started stepping on Mr. Ahmed’s head. Mr. Ahmed continues:
“I started telling them that I was thirsty, I was pleading for water. The Bahraini-looking police told the others to open my mouth, and they filled my mouth with sand. In the sand there were pebbles and that caused my tooth to break. Then the same man turned his gun and hit me on my face with it, and broke my jaw.”
At that point there was a woman who was driving by, she stopped her car and asked the police to stop beating the two men. The S. S. police started swearing at her, hitting her car and damaging it, until she drove off. Finally, the two men were taken to Exhibition center police station, were the police took pictures for them, placed tear gas shells in front of them, and put masks on their faces, according to Mr. Ahmed.
Other than the broken jaw and tooth, Mr. Ahmed also suffers from difficulty in breathing, and bruises in his legs, knee cap, knees and ribs. Moreover, he complained that has no balance and therefore has great difficulty in standing or walking.
The BCHR is gravely concerned especially that this is the fourth injured victim of the S. S. police found in the hospital in the last few days. And there could be more victims who the BCHR does not know about yet.
The BCHR again urges the authorities to put an end to the use of excessive force and torture by its security forces, and to promptly and impartially investigate these cases and find and put on trial anyone who is involved in these atrocious acts. Finally the victims of such acts must be redressed and compensated.
Another day another victim
Security Forces use excessive force in an attack on a gathering
A Bystander gets shot in his eye with a rubber bullet
Urgent Appeal Ref. 27/05/07
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) has just received information about a 23 year old Bahraini, Husain Abbas Ali, who was wounded in an attack carried out by security forces on a gathering. The gathering took place in the village of Karzakkan on the 18th of this month (May 2007), it was held in protest to the violent attack carried out by security forces on a seminar organized by the opposition. Mr Ali is currently in the Salmaniya hospital, wing 62, bed no. 12. He has lost eyesight in his right eye as a result of the injury But he was told that could be temporary.
Mr. Ali is one of many who were attacked that day, however, his injury is one of the more serious. The security forces, who are mainly non-Bahrainis, attacked the gathering using mainly rubber bullets and tear gas. Although these weapons are less dangerous when compared to live ammunition, they have been the cause of many serious injuries in the past. One example is death of another Bahraini, Mohammed Jumaa, who was shot in the head with a rubber bullet at a demonstration a few years ago. The use of excessive force against peaceful civilians has again caused a serious injury when Mr. Ali was hit by a rubber bullet in his right eye.
The BCHR calls for urgent and impartial investigation in the use of excessive force by the Special Security Police, especially in Mr. Ali's case, and to bring violators to Justice.
Bahraini citizen beaten severely, used as human shield, then placed in hospital arrest
Posted: 24 May 2007 12:43 PM CDT
Bahraini citizen beaten severely, used as human shield, then placed in hospital arrest
Victim's family has been denied rights to visit or information
Urgent Appeal Ref. 24/05/07
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) is highly concerned about the health and well being of a Bahraini citizen by the name of Ali Saeed Al-Khabbaz, 22 years, from Al-Qufool. An eyewitness told BCHR that he saw Al-Khabbaz being beaten severely by more than ten of the Special Security Police, most of them were non-Bahrainis.
"They were beating him continuously all over his body, they hit his head against the wall until he started bleeding. After that one of the police held him up from his hair, putting a rubber bullet gun on his shoulder, and pushing him forward using him as human shield against protesters stones while advancing in the narrow streets"
Mr. Al-Khabbaz was arrested on the 21st of this month when security forces attacked a peaceful gathering by the house of the political activist Hassan Mushaima in relation to solidarity with the latter.
The family of the victim have heard about the brutal way their son was beaten and that he was transferred to the Military hospital suffering of severe injuries. They have written a letter of urgent appeal, asking human rights organization for an intervention in their sons case. On the 23rd of May, the family gathered at the Al-Nuaim police station demanding to see their son. After about four hours the family, including ten women and their children, refused to leave, the special police were brought and the family were physically thrown out. Now, after four days from the arrest, Al-Khabbaz's family still do not know about his condition, and they have been denied any visitation or information.
The BCHR urges the authorities to release Mr. Al-Khabbaz. If there are any sound charges against him, his rights must be insured in accordance with international standards, including the prompt visit by his family and access to a lawyer and in biased medical care.
The BCHR calls for urgent and impartial investigation in the use of excessive force by the Special Security Police, especially in Mr. Al-Khabbaz case, and to bring violators to Justice.
Bahraini citizen Sayed Abbas Sayed Mahdi, who was passing by the house of the political activist Hassan Mushaima last Sunday May 20, while people were gathering in relation to solidarity with him, when he was stopped by the police. He was beaten severely by the Foreign Special Security Forces that works for the ministry of interior.They beaten him continuously all over his body,kicked his head and hit it against the ground till he started bleeding.
Until this moment, Sayed Abbas does not know why it happen.
Bahraini citizen Sayed Abbas Sayed Mahdi, who was passing by the house of the political activist Hassan Mushaima last Sunday May 20, while people were gathering in relation to solidarity with him, when he was stopped by the police. He was beaten severely by the Foreign Special Security Forces that works for the ministry of interior.They beaten him continuously all over his body,and kicked his head and hit it against the ground till he started bleeding.
Until this moment, Sayed Abbas does not know why it happen.
Bahraini citizen beaten severely, used as human shield, then placed in hospital arrest
Victim's family has been denied rights to visit or information
Urgent Appeal Ref. 24/05/07
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) is highly concerned about the health and well being of a Bahraini citizen by the name of Ali Saeed Al-Khabbaz, 22 years, from Al-Qufool. An eyewitness told BCHR that he saw Al-Khabbaz being beaten severely by more than ten of the Special Security Police, most of them were non-Bahrainis.
"They were beating him continuously all over his body, they hit his head against the wall until he started bleeding. After that one of the police held him up from his hair, putting a rubber bullet gun on his shoulder, and pushing him forward using him as human shield against protesters stones while advancing in the narrow streets"
Mr. Al-Khabbaz was arrested on the 21st of this month when security forces attacked a peaceful gathering by the house of the political activist Hassan Mushaima in relation to solidarity with the latter.
The family of the victim have heard about the brutal way their son was beaten and that he was transferred to the Military hospital suffering of severe injuries. They have written a letter of urgent appeal, asking human rights organization for an intervention in their sons case. On the 23rd of May, the family gathered at the Al-Nuaim police station demanding to see their son. After about four hours the family, including ten women and their children, refused to leave, the special police were brought and the family were physically thrown out. Now, after four days from the arrest, Al-Khabbaz's family still do not know about his condition, and they have been denied any visitation or information.
The BCHR urges the authorities to release Mr. Al-Khabbaz. If there are any sound charges against him, his rights must be insured in accordance with international standards, including the prompt visit by his family and access to a lawyer and in biased medical care.
The BCHR calls for urgent and impartial investigation in the use of excessive force by the Special Security Police, especially in Mr. Al-Khabbaz case, and to bring violators to Justice.
Human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, on his knees, was detained by Bahraini police during a protest . A colleague was among many beaten by police.
Excessive Use of Rubber Bullets and Tear Gas
Annual Demonstration Prohibited by Security Forces
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
Ref: 06121700
A demonstration, organized annually by the Victims of Tortures Committee, was dispersed today by special security forces using rubber bullets and tear gas. The demonstration takes place every year on the 17th of December, a day many Bahraini’s consider to be a day of remembrance, also known as “martyrs day” due to the fact that two youth were shot on that day in 1994, and this was followed by a series of civilian deaths as a result of torture and police brutality. This day became thereby marked on the Bahraini calendars as a day to remember the people who were killed and tortured by the government during the 90’s, when the governments human rights abuses were at its peak. Now, a decade later, human rights abuses evidently remain a problem. While yesterday the government set up pro government rallies, today it forcibly prohibited the oppositions demonstration.
The BCHR has learnt that since the dispersion, there has been rioting in several villages whereby eye witnessed have seen young boys burning tires in protest. Eye witnesses have also confirmed to the BCHR that riot police are using tear gas in numerous villages.
