Police State Bahrain
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Bahrain is a fascist police state, an appendage of Saudi Arabia and Washington’s regional imperial agenda, home to the Pentagon’s 5th Fleet.
Run by the Al Khalifa monarchy, the regime is a dictatorship of the island territory, masquerading as a nation-state, population 1.5 million, the equivalent of a medium-sized city— unfit and unsafe to live in for its viciously persecuted majority Shia.
Democracy is prohibited, state terror official policy, human and civil rights violations rampant.
Anyone criticizing the regime risks arrest, imprisonment, torture, even death. Crackdowns persist against democracy proponents, human rights activists, independent journalists, and anyone critical of regime practices.
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) condemned the torture and execution of Ahmed al-Mullali and Ali al-Arab, saying:
In early May, Bahain’s rubber-stamp supreme court of appeals upheld their death sentence — along with “life imprisonment for 19 others, as well as sentences of 15 years for 17 detainees, 10 years for 9 detainees and 5 years for 11 detainees including females.”
Court rulings were based on so-called confessions obtained by torture, extreme pain getting most people to say almost anything for relief.
BCHR explained that Al-Mullali and Al-Arab were isolated in Jau central prison, subjected to severe beatings and electro-shocking, along with “forcing them to stand for long hours.”
Their kangaroo court trials were a travesty of injustice, both individuals declared guilty by accusation. They never had a chance in an island territory where the law is what the monarchal despot says it is.
In 2018, a BCHR report was titled “No Right to Rights: A Report into Human Rights Violations Committed by BAHRAINI Authorities.”
Its citizens have no political rights, no say over how they’re ruled, no recourse against severe repression, the report explained.
Regime critics face “(p)olitically-motivated” judicial proceedings, “falling far short of the minimum basic standards for fair trials as stipulated by international law.” Some civilians are tried in military courts.
“(W)idespread restrictions on civil, religious and political freedoms, and violations on the right to privacy” exist.
Last week, BCHR discussed grievous human rights violations during January through June 2019, saying:
During the period “instances of intimidation and reprisals against human rights defenders, journalists, and active members of civil society” were extensive, a “near total suppression of human rights,” including arbitrary arrests, imprisonments, horrific mistreatment, and revocations of citizenship.
“All major opposition parties have now been dissolved, and stripped of their nationalities. Peaceful protesters died from injuries inflicted by security forces, many caused by the use of birdshot pellets and tear gas.”
During the period, 128 protests against injustice occurred, resulting in 261 arbitrary arrests, including 23 children and two women.
From January to early May, “BCHR recorded a total of 521 individuals sentenced in politically motivated cases, amongst which 334 had their Bahraini citizenship revoked, rendering them stateless, whilst 46 were sentenced to life” imprisonment.
Since January, 109 individuals were sentenced to death. “(I)ndiscriminate violence” against regime critics is rampant.
On December 31, 2018, Bahrain’s highest (rubber-stamp) court of cessation upheld the unjustifiable five-year sentence to human rights champion Nabeel Rajab — for the “crime” of criticizing regime oppression and naked aggression in Yemen.
Activist Najah Yusuf was imprisoned for social media posts, calling for peaceful protests against the 2017 Bahrain grand prix.
The rubber-stamp high court upheld the unjustifiable life sentence given former opposition political leader Sheikh Ali Salman.
Bahrain abuses its Shia population and regime critics like apartheid Israel oppresses Palestinians, including trials by military tribunals, calling justifiable criticism “terrorism.”
Ruling authorities of both countries prohibit free expression, movement, and other fundamental rights affirmed under international law.
Systematic violations of religious freedom occur. BCHR’s Ghiwa Faroukh denounced horrific conditions in Bahraini prisons, including torture and other abuses.
Majority Shias are viciously persecuted by ruling Sunis, Shia political prisoners subjected to torture, humiliation, mistreatment, denial of medical care, and other abuses.
In June, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders called for world community intervention on behalf of Sayed Yousif Almuhadafdha, vice-president of Salam for Democracy and Human Rights/BCHR board member, activist Hussein al-Satri, and their family members in response to Bahrain regime threats to their safety and welfare.
Anyone freely expressing critical views of the regime risks loss of their freedom and lives.
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