Foreign AffairsWritten evidence from Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, Liberties and Human Rights Department
Extreme Brutality and Collective Punishment
1. After the release of Bassouni Report in which it pointed to the extensive use of force by the security forces.
2. “The forceful confrontation of demonstrators involving the use of lethal force and resort to a heavy deployment of Public Security Forces led to the death of civilians. This caused a marked increase in the number of persons participating in protests and led to a palpable escalation in their demands.”
3. After Geneva recommendations, which the government pledged to implement we would like to prove with evident that nothing of that have been achieved on the ground, and all the government claims of implementing the pledges or holding accountable the policemen whom been involved in violation is only used for media consumption and the methodology have not been changed before or after Bassouni report and after Geneva recommendations, the violations are continuing in a systematic daily bases.
4. Hence what does it mean for a police security force vehicle to stop and a policeman steps out of it, throw a teargas inside a women saloon and get back in calmly.
5. And what does it mean to close all primary and secondary roads and prevent people from going to pray even on foot, or arrest and torture anyone who tries to go to pray and pursuit them, which resulted in martyrdom of a young man who was chased by police forced and got hit by a car.
6. And what does the decision of preventing peaceful protesting which been recently released under lame excuses that narrowed freedom of expression and peaceful protest.
7. Despite all that, the British Foreign policy report have stated on 30th September 2012 that the government have made a significant progress in implementing the recommendations of the National Committee.
8. “Assistance in the judicial sector and on improving human rights in areas such as freedom of expression and torture prevention. The BICI Follow Up Unit also published a report in July updating on progress on implementation following the closure of the National Commission in March; the report is available online”.
9. That significantly contract with reality, for example we will cite a collection of events that happened and is happening continually and considered a flagrant violation of human rights.
10. Note that we have only focus on the recent period (the second half of 2012) and did not report all the evidence due to their huge number.
11. Below is a summery of information in respond to the report of the British Foreign Office.
Freedom of Expression:
I. Preventing the opposition protest in Bilad Alqadeem on 22/06/2012 and use of extensive force to crowed disperse, which includes leaders of the opposition parties and injuring the Secretary General of Alwefaq party, as well as one of the leaders in the Democratic National Assembly party and causing a serious injury that caused a permanent disabilities for the companion of AlWefaq Secertary General (Ali AlMuwali), and the arrest of 6 citizens.
http://www.alwasatnews.com/3671/news/read/704275/1.html
II. On 7th September 2012 preventing the opposition parties from protesting in the capital and arresting participants:
http://alayam.com/newsdetails.aspx?id=94285
http://www.alwasatnews.com/3703/news/read/711587/1.html
http://www.policemc.gov.bh/news_details.aspx?type=1&articleId=12367
III. The public security chief Tariq Alhassan has announced that Alwefaq party has send a notification to the Capital Police Governance that they will organize a march from Bab-AlBahrain to Ras-Rumman in Manama on Thursday morning (19th July 2012) and it is decided not to approve this protest in the time and place specified.
In an issued statement on Thursday 19th July 2012 the opposition parties have said “Preventing rallies and marches in the Capital Manama is a precedent that doesn’t exist in any other country”, as well as “The peaceful demonstration have been prohibited under the current situation of excluding and not willing to listen to any different opinion in each area in Bahrain including the capital, which contrary with the slogans and the statement by the authorities, which is a clear violation of all international charters and treaties as well as a violation of the law which permits the right to demonstrate”
Source: http://www.alwasatnews.com/3604/news/read/689258/1.html
IV. On the 6th July 2012 the Ministry of Interior have announced on their Twitter account that it have been decided to prevent the marched called by AlWefaq party after tomorrow on Friday in the area of Demistan. The Security General Tariq al-Hassan said that the invitation to the march and participate in violation of the law.
Source Alayam Newspapaer: http://www.alayam.com/print.aspx?id=80198
V. On 7th July 2012 the Ministry of Interior banned licensing a march called by AlWefaq party on Friday afternoon in Janosan area, as stated by the head of the General Security Major General Tariq al-Hassan.
Chief Alhassan has said that Alwefaq has submitted a notification to the Northern Governorate Police Department to organize a march from roundabout Janosan area to Diraz area roundabout on Friday, July 6, 2012
Source: http://www.alwatannews.net/NewsViewer.aspx?ID=bv1DeFkf4FB76K5r5iUZ733337Q933339933339
VI. On 09/06/2012 Interior Ministry prevent an opposition rally and announced that in their account on Twitter and official newspapers
Source: http://www.alwatannews.net/NewsViewer.aspx?ID=Fjxos0DcE5dwQuoMgJdnUw_939__939_&item=x
VII. On 29th October 2012 the Minister of Interior announced to stop all the marches or gatherings and participation or call to any march is considered against the law
Source: http://www.alwasatnews.com/3705/news/read/712098/1.html
VIII. On 9/11/2012 people where prevented from freedom of worship and practice Friday prayers in Duraz area as well as preventing the media from entering the area plus the use of excessive force to prevent people from reaching the prayer
Ministry of Interior Reply to Routers: http://www.policemc.gov.bh/news_details.aspx?type=1&articleId=12916
Torturing, abusing spiting and insulting man just because he was in his way to pray. The press has raised the subject of this person which was going to be accused of assaulting a security patrol and was released thanks to the video that proves what he suffered and that he was peaceful: http://www.alwasatnews.com/3718/news/read/714979/1.html
12. Extensive use of Force:
1. 20 October 2012, Collective punishment on the residents on AlEker village putting the whole village under a siege for a 5 days, and suppress the supporters and people who tried to break the siege, as an excuse of an alleged and skeptical incident of a death of a policeman who died after the vehicle he fall in a sewer pit which was reclaimed later by security forces.
II. The Human Rights violations in Bahrain. In spite of that Bahrain authorities signed many Human Rights agreements and accepted Human Rights Council recommendations in Geneva they continues their abuses against people by raiding people’s houses and vandalizing private properties.”
III. Security forces throw a gas grenade deliberately inside a women’s salon in the village of Sitra, September 2, 2012.
IV. 23 July 2012: Deliberately throwing a teargas inside a house in Diraz Village:
V. 15 July 2012: Throwing a teargas inside a house in the village of Sitra after security forces tried to raid it.
VI. 30 Septe,ber 2012, throwing toxic gases inside a house, which lead to the suffocation of one family in the area of Nuwaidrat by the regime forces, after that they flood the whole area with gases as they left the area as a collective punishment.
VII. The use of shotgun and injuring the kid Ahmed Alnaham 4 years old in Daire village, who lost one of his eyes.
13. We would like also to point to you that on the 8th of September 2012, the opposition parties have held a conference “What’s after Bassouni Report?” it has been confirmed during the conference and proved by evidence (Video) that “The violations still continue, and the violations of the period after Bassouni have not changed compared to the previous one. Moreover, the policy of systematic collective punishment and the extensive use of force have never changed”:
http://manamavoice.com/index.php?plugin=news&act=news_read&id=10584
http://www.alwasatnews.com/3655/news/read/700115/1.html
Case of Tortured Prisoners
Introduction:
1. Further to your praise for to the Government of Bahrain for signing the convention against torture, we would like to enclose to you in this report some examples to demonstrate the continuity of the torture policy that is committed by the government, also we would like to put in the context the nature of the vocabulary which your government use to push on the steps to develop the human rights situation in Bahrain, by pointing to the following:
2. According to some testimonies, torture is practiced for two main purposes, firstly to extract confessions, and secondly, to obtain any information that may be known by the detainees.
3. Since the beginning of the protests the form of torture have included all age group of both genders.
4. Methods used for torture:
Electrocution.
Stand for long periods of time.
Clubbing.
Kicking by armed shoes.
Handcuffing.
Blindfolding.
Other methods.
5. British contribution in the investigations related to explosives:
We would like to bring to your concern some cases of torture which victims been accused of being related to the case of explosions which is known as the “5 tons”, we would like to point out what have been published by the British medias (BBC) of the presence of a British team to help in the investigation in the same case in which the victims have been subjected to the most horrifying forms of torture and we wonder about the British government involvement into that?
(Appendix 1: British Team Involved In The Investigation)
Appendix 1:
Alwasat article about the British team that been sent to help in the investigation of the case of “5 tons”: ( Alwasat News Paper, Issue No. 3587, dated 3 Jul 2012 )
BBC: A British team helps in Bahrain explosives investigations.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) said yesterday that Britain has sent a team of forensic experts from London police to Bahrain to help in the investigations that followed the finding of huge quantities of sophisticated improvised explosive devices.
The BBC also said that Britain apparently took this development very seriously, and reinforced security teams in its Gulf embassies by sending a team of forensic experts from London’s Metropolitan Police.
Human Rights Defenders
1. In the quarterly report issued by the British Foreign Office about the situation in Bahrain, in which it invited activists to make sure that their words and actions do not incite violence and do not conflict with the law, also it expressed its concern over the long sentences of the human rights activists Nabeel Rajab which reached to 3 years on the back of charges relating to freedom of expression which are guaranteed by all international charters and treaties that Bahrain signed a number of them.
2. The imprisonment of human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, upon the background of charges related to freedom of expression and demonstrating is considered a breach of the international obligations and treaties. Moreover, the British Foreign office response about the sentenced was below the expected level by only expressing concerns, it is also notable that there is no link between the British Foreign Office carried in its report on the subjects of incitement law and between the demonstrating oriented charged against the human rights activists Nabeel Rajab.
3. In additional, on the last trial the defense of Nabeel Rajab has presented a CD containing a collection of speeches by him calling to hold the peaceful approach in demonstrating and renounce violence, as well as a video was played showing a peaceful march attended by Nabil in the capital Manama showing that the traffic was normal and had not hindered commercial movement.
4. In 4 November 2012 Bahrain authorities arrested also the human rights activist Said Yousif Almuhaftha addressing him with charge of gathering, despite the fact that his presence was purely for human rights purposes to document a case of an injured man. The arrest of Said Yousif is a continuing act of targeting human rights activists that started by arresting AbdulJalil AlSenkis and Abdulhadi Alkhwaja, while the human rights activist Zainab Alkhwaja case is still at court, the public prosecution charged her with 13 cases 8 of them are related to gatherings cases such as gathering at Bab-Albahrain, disrupt traffic near the financial harbor, and inciting hatred against the regime at AbuSaiba roundabout.
5. We did not see any clear stands by the British authorities on the targeting of Human Rights activists; unlink the other cases for example the British administration have send a committee to investigate in the claims 5 tons of explosives alleged by the Ministry of the Interior, whereas the call to relieve conditions vary from calling for the release.
6. It should be noted that the British Foreign Office dealt in a negative means with the case of the hunger strike of activists AbdulHadi AlKwaja.
7. The British Foreign Office can pressure the authorities in Bahrain to reform human rights situation that is getting worse day after day, keeping the activists behind bars and the continues of their trails on charges related to giving opinion and assembly gives a clear evidence that there is a lack of sincerity and seriousness of reform.
Illegal killings amidst absence of transparent system of accountability
1. Many illegal killings have occurred since the 14th February, illegal killings that were committed against plenty of Bahraini citizens. Plenty of evidence indicate the involvement of the authorities in the killings as there is not a transparent system for the authorities to be questioned by the judiciary and many cases have been reserved ( the kid Ali Al-shaikh is an example; who was killed due to a thrown object fired by the security forces on the day of Eid Al-fitr, the prosecution’s intention at that time was to accuse the person who brought the martyr to the hospital, no serious investigations have been conducted yet to reach the real criminal.
2. The journalist martyr who was killed by live ammunition—a kind of weapon only carried by limited groups- many unrealistic justifications were used to whitewash the security forces.
3. The martyr ( Ali Baddah) the prosecution have justified all the killings that occurred by describing them as ( self-defense), against unarmed protesters. Most of the death cases occurred after being shot directly by birdshot at a close range which mostly led to death in a very short time. It is remarkable that there is not official reaction to follow up with the killing incidents.
4. What is remarkable about the Public Prosecution: Unserious intentions of conducting investigations in all killings that happened after the BICI report are similar to the old killings mentioned in the report, the Public Prosecution investigation mostly intends to drop all charges off the security forces.
5. The special Unit, which has been established as part of claims of implementing the BICI recommendations, this unit is unserious about referring to the witnesses or investigating the killings but they only accredit the security forces. In the Martyr Ali Ne’ma’s case, this unit stated that it would conduct an investigation right from the first moments of the incident, to announce later a story that match the story told by the Ministry of Interior about the circumstances that led to the killing of Ali Ne’ema , and when one of the MP declared that he had seen the incidents, the unit replied that their doors are open and no one provided any information, to stick to the same story after a while.
6. Despite all these evidence, the British Foreign Affairs Acclaim the situation in Bahrain.
7. First case: Salah Abbas: martyred on 21st April, 2012, he was found killed in one of farms in Abu Saibe’e village with birdshots effects, the area witnessed a peaceful protest at that night, his brother stated that” he ,Salah, participated in a protest organized by the societies and clashes erupted, my brother was being chased and then shot by birdshot- according to one of the people who was with him- and disappeared. On the other day, at 9:00 am they received a call telling them that their brother’s body was thrown in one of the farms in Shakohra Village, as it mentioned in Al-Wasat newspaper”. http://www.alwasatnews.com/3515/news/read/657497/1.html
Dr.Ali Al-Ekri and Dr.Nada Dhaif were among those who observed the body.
Despite the fact that all wounds in the martyr’s body were clear that he was shot by birdshot, the Public Prosecution did not investigate the matter .
8. Second case: Hussam Al-Haddad, 16-year old, died on 18th August, 2012. His father stated that his son was going to buy some food, at that time the area was witnessing security clashes when he was stopped by a group of security men. He was brutally beaten to be later transferred to hospital, they were prevented from seeing him until they heard that he died.
http://www.alwasatnews.com/3633/news/read/695188/1.html
9. The Ministry of Interior mentioned in a statement that one of its patrols was handling a situation to secure the Al-Khalifa Street which is usually crowded with people in the center of the city of Muharraq and was attacked by a large number of Molotov cocktails at 9:30 pm targeting one of the security man’s life who was in the patrol and targeting citizens and residents’ lives at the site of the incident which caused casualties among the security men and terrified citizens and residents causing damages to some of the public and private properties, the police handled the situation according to the law as a self-defense and in defending citizens, whereas one of the people who was participating in the terrorist act had been injured and transferred to hospital where he died later.
www.policemc.gov.bh/news_details.aspx?type=1&articleId=12212
10. The prosecution justifies the murder of Hussam by the case of “ self defense”;
http://alwasatnews.com/mobile/news-707355.html
The persecution concluded and according to its observation of the photography and the eyewitnesses , that the deceased was masked and was part of a group which attacked a police patrol, they were intending to set the patrol on fire as the police were there, however, the patrol’s member took the action of self-defense against those who were gathering by firing warning shots and rubber shots but all firings were in vain, the deceased continued to head towards one of the policemen holding a Molotov cocktail in his hand regardless all the repeated warnings until he approached a close distance of 10 meters with the police who fired the birdshot defending himself, whereas the deceased intended to throw the Molotov cocktail to set him on fire and kill him, the policeman had no choice but shoot him with birdshot weapon which was the only weapon with him to defend his life with and he shot the deceased on shot with it. The coroner reports met the eyewitness’s mentioned story, and the prosecution conclude that after all investigation’s procedures and the behavior of the two sides of the incidents that what the police man did was an inevitable behavior to defend himself from a real danger threatening his life , the prosecution ordered to reserve the case because the legitimate case of self-defense is available which is, according to the law, considered as a permissible reason.
11. While the father of the deceased announced the his son was hit several times in the head by people and that might be causes led to his death.
http://www.mepanorama.com/163331/
12. On the other hand, the footage that was used by the Ministry of Interior was doubtful, because having someone filming from the rooftop on one of the building in such incident was a big question mark. The footage did not show that the martyr was among the group who were throwing the Molotov cocktails, and did not prove that shooting the birdshot was meant to be in self-defense because shooting the birds was so loose in comparison with the story of throwing the Molotov cocktail, if it was correct.
13. The third case: The kid Ali Hussain Ne’ma, 17 years old, was directly target at a close range with birdshots in Saddad area. The kid Ali Hussain Ne’ma was martyred after being shot with birdshot at a close range which led to serious casualties that led to his martyrdom, after leaving him bleeding to death.
14. The Ministry of Interior statement: The Dirctor General of the Police Directorate of the Norhtern Directorate stated that a security patrol was attacked with large number of Molotov cocktails and iron skewer as it was passing by Zaid Bin Umairah Street in Saddad at 11:20 p.m yesterday Friday evening targeting the lives of the security patrol, the police handled the situation according to the law in such incidents defending themselves, on the people who was participating in the terrorist act had been injured, adding that after the presence of the ambulance and the medical team who observed him that he died .The Dirctor General of the Police Directorate of the Norhtern Directorate that the prosecution had been informed of the incident adding the investigations had been conducted to know more about the terrorist attack.
http://manamavoice.com/index.php?plugin=news&act=news_read&id=10734
15. The Ministry of Interior statement:
http://alwasatnews.com/ipad/news-705289.
16. On 21st October,2012 the prosecution stated that there was no accusation for the police of killing Ali Ne’ma in Saddad and the causes of self-defense were available in his death case.
http://alwasatnews.com/ipad/news-710284.html
November 2013