Bahrain

NOVANEWS BY WORLDVIEW  (AP/Hasan Jamali) A man passes a wall with pictures of jailed opposition figures and the word "steadfast" in Malkiya, Bahrain. A preeminent international law expert, DePaul University’s Cherif Bassiouni helped create the International Criminal Court and has investigated war crimes in the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Afghanistan. He’s currently serving as president emeritus of  DePaul University’s International Human Rights Law Institute.  The United Nations recently tapped him to examine human rights violations in Libya, but lately, Bassiouni has spent a lot of time in the tiny Gulf state of Bahrain. On June 29, the kingdom set up an independent commission to examine the government crackdown on the majority Shiite opposition, following protests in February an...

NOVANEWS by crescentandcross in Uncategorized  Inter Press Service Peeved at Russia’s Security Council veto derailing a Western-sponsored resolution against Syria last week, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice implicitly accused the Russians of protecting the beleaguered government of President Bashar al-Assad primarily to safeguard their lucrative arms market in the Middle Eastern country. But around the same time, the United States was evaluating a $53 million weapons contract with Bahrain, where political unrest has claimed the lives of 34 people, mostly civilians, at least 1,400 others have been arrested, and more than 3,600 dismissed from their jobs for participating in street demonstrations demanding a democratic government. “The U.S. government appears hypocritical when it condemns the us...

NOVANEWS By Finian Cunningham Global Research The persistence of pro-democracy protests in Bahrain in the face of brutal repression may be giving Washington second thoughts about its unwavering support for the royal rulers of the strategically important Persian Gulf kingdom. Are we about to witness a cosmetic ‘regime change’ – not so much for the genuine sake of democratic rights in Bahrain, but more to save Washington’s vital interests across the region? The tiny island situated between Saudi Arabia and Qatar serves as the base for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. The Fifth Fleet, comprising 16,000 personnel and 30 vessels, is a staging ground for US military projection across the Middle East and Central Asia. It also monitors the sealanes of the Persian Gulf through which some 30 ...

NOVANEWS "A 14-year-old boy was killed during a peaceful demonstration in Bahrain’s central town of Sitra today, where dozens of demonstrators took part in anti-government protests marking the feast of ‘Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan.  ‘Ali Jawad Ahmad al-Shaikh died from a head injury after being hit by a tear gas canister thrown by pro-Zionist puppet riot police, a local human rights group said.  “This tragic death occurred during a peaceful protest where police appear to have used excessive force against people demonstrating against the government,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.  “The police have a duty to uphold the law, but it is completely unacceptable to throw heavy gas canisters at children. The...

NOVANEWS  Angry Arab chief Bahrain correspondent wrote me this: "I thought I'd give you a few updates on Bahrain. Its been really depressing to be honest. The february days seem like a distant memory and I feel like everyone I know that's Bahraini is in some deep depression and is just going through the motions. But here's the latest on what's happening: - The good news is that two female prisoners - Rolla AlSaffar head of the Bahraini Nursing Society and Jaleela AlSalman were finally released. Both had been on a hunger strike. Bahrain is obviously very obsessed with PR and these two became very high profile so they released them. Bassiouni apparently intervened too. He's been playing an active role these days trying to release prisoners instead of doing his job which is to inves...

NOVANEWS While Front Line initially welcomed the appointment of the Royal Independent Investigation Committee and the decision to refer all remaining trials to civilian courts the organisation is concerned at the continued detention of 12 doctors, nurses and other health professionals and the situation of a further 34 who still have charges pending despite being released on bail. Further Information According to reports received today, 12 doctors, nurses and health professionals remain in detention, 34 have been released on bail but are still facing charges and 12 have been released without charge. Front Line is particularly concerned at reports that despite the commitment by King Hamad to reinstate those previously dismissed, this has not to date happened and indeed it appears that the ...

Professor Eoin O'Brien writes in todays Irish Examiner on the findings of the recent humanitarian mission to Bahrain to offer support to imprisoned Bahraini doctors and their families.Three of the imprisoned doctors, Dr Ali Al Ekri, Dr Basim Daif and Dr Ghassan Daif studied in the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. HIPPOCRATIC OATH The delegation was led by Professor Damian McCormac, who was also joined by Ms Averil Power TD (member of the Irish Parliament). Ms Marion Harken MEP, Mr David Andrews former Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Front Line representatives Andrew Anderson and Khalid Ibrahim. The full text of the article is published below. "I went home from my work as usual following a day of work as an oncologist at the Salymaniya Medical Centre. I was awoken from sleep a...

NOVANEWS Jalila Al Salman   Front Line is deeply concerned for the safety and well being of Mrs Jalila Al Salman, vice president of the Bahrain Teachers's Society and Mrs. Rula Al Saffar Assistant Professor at the College of Health Sciences and the Head of Bahrain Nursing Society, following reports received to day that they have gone on hunger strike in protest at their continuing torture and ill treatment while in custody. Further Information There had been hopes that they would at least be released on trial pending the transfer of their trial to civilian courts to mark the start of Ramadan but so far there has been no improvement in their situation. Jalila al-Salman Vice President of the Bahrain Teachers Association (BTA) is among several board members of the Bahrain Teache...

NOVANEWS   THE US Navy is looking at plans to move its Fifth Fleet away from Bahrain amid fears over violence and continued instability in the Gulf kingdom. Sources in Washington and the Gulf have confirmed a growing consensus around the idea of relocating the fleet after the recent crackdown on anti-government protests that left at least 32 dead. Politicians in Washington are concerned the navy’s continued presence a few kilometres from the centre of the capital Manama lends tacit support to Bahrain’s suppression of the opposition, amid allegations of systematic human rights abuses. “There was talk on Capitol Hill about moving the fleet within days of the protests breaking out, and that increased in March and April as people realised that what was happening in Bahrain ran counter...