BCHR and Arab NGOs:It is time to freeze Israel's membership in the UN
Statement It is time to freeze Israel's membership in the UN
The undersigned Arab human rights organizations and centers salute the UN human rights council for its impartial analysis of the war crisis in Lebanon and its release of a statement condemning the Israeli crimes of war. We consider that this position is an important step to establish a new objective attitude towards events in the Middle East, which monitors the accumulating Israeli violations and aggressions as one ongoing continuum and differentiates in its decisions between a party which has been the aggressor for several decades and until now (Israel) and a reaction that aims for self defense against this aggression and exercises a resistance that is, beyond doubt, a legitimate right. In this context and along the lines of the council's statement, the undersigned Arab organizations and centers consider that any attempt to isolate the repeated Israeli aggressions into separate actions, taking them out of their holistic historical context, is but an attempt to ameliorate the effect of those aggressions on the international community and western peoples and is therefore an attempt that is neither just nor acceptable. The war launched by Israel against the state of Lebanon is but a new addition to its long heritage of violation of international law, supported by an international silence and/or obvious complicity that constitute a betrayal to all human rights principles. The Israeli aggression continues since 12/7 and until this very moment despite resolution 1071 of a seize fire, the last of a series of resolutions that are constantly ignored by the Israeli government creating a scene of extraordinary contradictions, which even the most cynical would fall short of describing: Israel captures tens of thousands of Palestinians and Lebanese amidst total international silence; however when the Lebanese resistance captures two Israeli soldiers, the US and some Western governments consider it a state of emergency!! The Lebanese resistance captures two Israeli soldiers to exchange them with its POW; Israel responds with an immediate bombing of Lebanese civilians, bridges and infrastructure!! For the second time Israel bombs Qana, deliberately killing children, women, the elderly and disabled; and the governments of the "civilized world" consider that it is the existence of the Lebanese resistance and its defense of its land and self which is an act of terror!! The wounded and displaced are helped out of the affected Lebanese villages, so Israel bombs a Red Cross convoy several times as well as the UN check point and kills 4 of its staff, while the US works towards postponing a seize fire for several weeks!! The US insists that "democratization" of Palestine and the Middle East is the only solution and when the Palestinian people chose Hamas through democratic and transparent elections, Israel kidnaps its members and ministers, while the world continues to accuse the Palestinian resistance of being terrorist!! Israel continues to be supported with money and weapon while it continues to violate all UN security council resolutions, while the 7th provision of forcefully imposing the UN resolutions is applied to Iraq and Libya!! Since its establishment Israel has continued to commit massacres and mass aggressions starting from the Deir Yassin massacre in 1948, followed by Sabra and Shatila, Jenin, Qana, Gaza, Ain El Helwa etc., a phenomenon which deserves some contemplation: A state which continues to breach international law as a solid base of its daily behaviors cannot be accepted as a member of the UN and should be on top of the list of international terrorist organizations. Since Western governments of the "civilized" world cannot see beyond their political and economic interests and fear the wrath of the American administration, we appeal to all human rights organizations to join us in our call for a total isolation of the state of Israel until it submits to UN resolutions and stops blackmailing the international community for impunity and lack of accountability. We especially appeal to our colleagues in human rights organizations in those European countries which refused to endorse the UN council's resolution, to remind their governments and peoples of their historical struggles against their occupants and for their own independence. The undersigned organizations (in alphabetical order) "Ahalina" Center for Family Support and Development (Egypt) Amal center for the treatment and rehabilitation of victims of torture (Sudan) Aman network of centers of rehabilitation of victims of torture Arab Commission for Human Rights (Paris) Arab European Coalition for Rights and Liberties (Paris) Arab Network for Human Rights Information (Egypt) Arab program for human rights defenders (Egypt) Association for Environmental Health and Development (Egypt) Bahrain center for human rights (Bahrain) Center for Appropriate Communication Techniques in Development (Egypt) Center for Egyptian women's issues (Egypt) Center for the Rights of Egyptian Child (Egypt) Center for Trade Union workers services (Egypt) Committee for the Defense of Liberties, Tagammu party (Egypt) Committee for women's declaration (Bahrain) Community Development Institution (Bashayer) (Egypt) Coordinating committee of popular committees (Bahrain) Cultural renaissance association (Bahrain) Damascus Center for Theoretical Studies and Civil Rights (Sweden) Daughter of the Nile association (Egypt) Daughters of Fatma Mansour (Algeria) Egyptian Association against Torture (Egypt) Egyptian association for the promotion of community participation (Egypt) Egyptian Center for women's rights (Egypt) Egyptian Committee against Torture (Egypt) Egyptian Institution for family development (Egypt) El Khiam center for victims of torture (Lebanon) El Nadim Center (Egypt) Follow up Committee of Lebanese POW in Israeli prisons (Lebanon) Gaza Community Mental Health Program (Palestine) Habi center for environmental rights (Egypt) Health for All (Sudan) Heya institution for family development (Egypt) Hisham Mubarak Law Center (Egypt) Housing Rights Center (Egypt) Human right legal aid association (Egypt) Human Rights Center for Assistance of Prisoners (Egypt) Human rights first (Saudi Arabia) Human Rights Monitor (Marsad) (Sudan) Institution for Freedom of Thought and Expression (Egypt) International Office of Humanitarian and Charity Associations (Geneva) Journalists for human rights (Sudan) Karama Association for The Defense Of Human Rights (Geneva) Khartoum center for human rights and environmental development (Sudan) Land Center for human rights (Egypt) Medical association for rehabilitation of victims of torture (Morocco) New Woman Research Institution (Egypt) Research and information center for human rights (Egypt) Torture Rehabilitation Center – West Bank (Palestine) Truth and reconciliation committee (Algeria) Union of Arab Lawyers Youth center for human rights (Bahrain)
Detainees Held Incommunicado for 5 days Following unfair Trial & Complain of Police Brutality and Mistreatment
Family Members Protest against Brutal Beating of the “Dana Mall Detainees”
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
REF: 06082201
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) is highly concerned upon receiving information from the “Dana Mall” (BCHR REF: 06081701) defendants families, that since Tuesday the 15th of August, the detainees had been held incommunicado. All contacts with the detainees were cut and visits were not permitted until this past Sunday morning. The BCHR was informed that the defendants were moved to a different location by the police and later moved back to the Dry-Dock Jail where they were originally detained. Family members claim that the defendants had been on hunger strike since the Court session last Tuesday and their health had deteriorated leading to more than three being moved to hospital over the past week.
Relatives confirmed that some of the defendants, namely Mr. Moosa Abdali, aged 25, Activist of the Unemployment Committee, Hassan Al-Afoo, aged 20, and Hassan Hamada, aged 16, were moved to the hospital. One family member told the BCHR that when he visited his son last Monday, he noticed signs of beating on his sons body. Others have made the same claims and told the BCHR that the beating came after the detainees staged a protest against another postponement of one month by the Court Judge last Tuesday. The authorities, the families allege, have been stalling and extending the trial while refusing to release the defendants on bail.
The Detainees have since broken the strike after negotiating with the authorities for better treatment. The BCHR received a letter from the detainees which conveyed the specifics of the incident(kindly find a translated copy attached). The Detainees complain of harsh treatment, brutal beating and sexual harassment of a minor detainee, and if these allegations prove to be true, the BCHR fears for the safety of the detainees as their detention continues to be extended, and the same Police Officers continue to supervise and enforce a questionable method of prison regulations long scrutinized for its failure to protect the rights of the prisoners.
The BCHR calls for an investigation into claims of beating and mistreatment of the detainees. The investigation has to be done and supervised by an independent entity, which must secure the safety of the prisoners should they choose to convey any information relating to any mistreatment. The BCHR also calls for the immediate release of those detainees with no viable evidence that justifies their detention, specifically the minors and the activists held on this case.
A translation of a letter from the detainees of the Dana incidents regarding the assaults they were exposed to by the riot police inside ((Dry-Dock)) prison.
The latest events: On August the 15th, 2006 we were presented to a mock trial as usual, the session was adjourned with the excuse that witnesses, members of the Security Special Force who claim to have been assaulted, did not attend. Hence, we announced our resentment towards what is happening to us of injustice and oppression. Based on that, we decided not to cooperate by not attending any more trial sessions and going on a hunger strike. When we went back to prison we performed our prayers, read the Koran and supplication and were surprised by the presence of the riot police. We were attacked and hit brutally and violently, our hands were tied up behind our backs and we were taken outside to the station’s square. We were laid down with our faces to the ground under the heat of the sun for more than two hours. We were hit with sticks and kicked with shoes until our bodies started bleeding, and some of us had their arms and legs injured, or broken and fainted. What is more important besides all that, is that one of the prisoners who is 16 year old was laid down on his stomach and one of the riot police officers came to him and told him, “If you go on a hunger strike again and you cooperate with the rest of the prisoners I will disgrace your honor and dignity and I will do so and so.” He molested him, as he took pleasure in touching his private parts and he tried to pull down his clothes until he started screaming and crying for help. The officer left him after he started crying in front of the other detainees, the policemen, the police in charge of the station, the officers and the officer who ordered bringing the riot police. After that we were taken to the cells with our hands tied up, the officers came to us and started showering us with offensive words and indecent insults. All our personal possessions and even the blankets we sleep on were confiscated. Some of us were separated; they took five of us to Al-Hid prison, and the rest stayed in Dry-Dock prison. All of us were prevented from going on the same day to hospital for treatment, as well as preventing us from calling our families or getting visits and talking to the police so that news of the assaults and humiliation does not reach outside. Both the detainees in Al-Hid prison and in Dry-Dock prison held on to the hunger strike, and after two days of the strike we demanded being gathered in the previous prison (Dry-Dock) and facilitating our matters. It was agreed upon that, on the condition of ending the strike. We agreed on that and we were gathered in Dry-Dock prison. We were surprised by the harassments of the officers and policemen in the prison. As well as being prevented from everything, even going to the restroom or going out to perform the ritual of ablution and prayers was done under harassments. When one of us was taking a shower we were prevented from going out even if it were for a necessity. Also, when anyone asks to go to hospital, he is only allowed to do that after hours of being fainted. Therefore, we went on strike again and our condition continued like this for five days. After that, a compromise was made and in accordance with it we were to end our strike, our circumstances in prison was to be facilitated and the situation was to be returned as it was before the last court session …. However, our demand to be released and end the trial sessions was not fulfilled.
In consequence of this, we demand that we get released right away because we have not committed any felony and we are political detainees and are not criminals or ravagers as the government claims. Therefore, we will continue our non-violent and repetitive pressures until we are released. We will not retreat and we will not accept to be disgraced, we are determined to continue in all which we are able to do…
((The relief is coming hopefully))
The Dana incident’s detainees
Dana Mall Incidents: 19 citizens – among them four minors and three activists – are held in custody since five months
Dana Mall Incidents Case: “Unauthorized Gathering”
19 citizens – among them four minors and three activists – are held in custody since five months while the Unfair trial sessions are at the beginning
Urgent: The Police use force to deal with the detainees protesting prolonged detention
August 17th 2006 Ref: 06081701
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) followed the hearings of 19 accused citizens in the case that is known as the Dana Shopping Mall case, case number 7 / 2006 / 2152 / 7. Nabeel Rajab, the vice president of the (BCHR) attended the court session on August 15th. Mr. Rajab stated that he noticed a positive improvement in allowing the families of the detained to attend the session, as well as allowing a short meeting between the defendants and their families directly after the session. However, later in the day the BCHR received information that the defendants protested against continuation of their imprisonment. A special police force was allegedly brought to them and took them by force to deferent detention centers. The defendants’ families expressed to the BCHR their worry about the safety of the detained.
The first supreme criminal court, decided to postpone the hearing until the 14th of September. The court rejected for the third time a plea by the lawyer Abdulla Al-Shamlawi to release the detained on bail. The continuation of holding the defendants since March 10th raises great concern as these citizens have been held in custody for more than 5 months until now, which is looked at as a punishment that has been imposed on them before proving them guilty.
In regard to 17 of the of the 19 defendants, who were held in Dry-Dock detention Center, the lawsuit files against them lack any evidence related to them committing any type of violations, except the charge of participating in the set-in to demand the release of detainees in a previous case. The authorities documents on the case implied that the set-in was authorized in the morning but was not so in the evening and that was way they separated it by force. While the organizers say that the authorization prolonged until dusk, and that they stopped to perform the Friday prayer, and that the special security forces separated the protesters by force with no prior warning, in contradiction with the 1972 Bahraini law on assembling.
The two other defendants, Mohammed Ali Ebrahim and Essa Abd-Ali Rabe’, complain of isolation in Um-El-Hassam police station. The prosecution accuses the two of assaulting a security man in during the incidents that took place in Dana Mall after separating the protesters. These two accused demanded the judge in the last session to be transferred with the other defendants and to insure their rights as innocent until proven guilty.
In an earlier session, the court had decided to release on bail the defendent Qanea Saleh AbdAl-Nabi, 25 year old, an activist in the “Committee to Defend the Infected with Hereditary Blood Diseases”, due to the continued decadence in his health condition because of his suffering from the sickle cell disease. On the other hand, the BCHR followed with concern the public prosecution’s decision to continue the imprisonment of another activist, Ali Majeed Alawi, a member of “Families of Detainees committee, although he was acquitted of the accusation of participating in the December 2005 protest in Bahrain Airport. The prosecution included his name to the accused in the Dana Mall case and ordered to continue his custody. The third human rights activist who is detained in this case is Mousa AbdAli, 25 year old, a member of the “Unemployed Committee”. Few months befor his detention, Mousa AbdAli was abducted and subjected to sexual and physical abuse by allegedly security forces. His case is still under “investigation” by the public prosecution with no result until now, while he remains in prison with the accusation of participating in the Dana protest.
Prosecution files related to Dana mall case, as well as BCHR documentations of witness testimonies, and also the photos and films that the Centre possesses indicate the following:
- The set-in was organized by the “Families of Detainees” committee on March 10th demanding the release of the detained. It was peaceful and a large number of women and children participated in it. The organizing committee notified the security panels about the protest and got its approval.
- The special security forces, with no prior warning, and almost before half an hour from ending the protest used force – which includes tear gas and rubber bullets – claiming that the sit-in was authorized in the morning only.
- The protesters – who the security report estimated their number to be 150 – turned to the Dana Shopping Mall to protect themselves from the rubber bullets and the tear gas as there was no other near place.
- The mall’s management tried to prevent the special security forces from entering the mall. But it anyway entered the mall and s