Issue 38: 22nd Jan - 3rd Feb 2016

News from Inside Bahrain

Quote from
Bahrain:

Bahrain opens new case against Sheikh

Ali Salman
The Bahraini
authorities have
launched a new
criminal case against
Sheikh Ali Salman over
tweets calling for
democratic reforms, to mark Martin Luther
King Day. He was summoned by the
prosecutor general for interrogation although
the prosecution later said that it would not
add new charges against Sheikh Salman and
sent him back to his prison cell. The
prosecution did however order the launching
of a separate investigation to know who was
behind the tweets that, they claim, incited
hatred against the government and called
for staging demonstrations. Al-Wefaq
National Islamic Society said that taking
Sheikh Salman to investigation is
unacceptable and urged that the
measures taken against him be immediately
stopped. Sheikh Salman was sentenced to 4
years in prison in June 16 after being
convicted of inciting disobedience and
hatred. On January 14, the court adjourned
his case until March 30. It is still unknown
whether the court will issue its ruling appeal
on March 30 or not.

Bahrain hands down -15year jail terms to 57

individuals and revokes citizenships of 23
A Bahraini court
handed down -15
year jail terms to 57
individuals involved
in prison protests
last March and
fined them a total
of 508,187 dinars (1.35$ million).The court
charged the inmates with disobeying order,
forcing guards out of the prisoners buildings,
destroying furniture, air conditioners and
security cameras, climbing up to the rooftops
and pelting rocks at prison guards. Trying
to quell the clashes that took place in Jaw
prison, the security forces fired tear gas and
used excessive force, including beatings,
against the inmates leaving a number of
casualties among police and inmates.
The prisoners had been protesting against
degrading conditions, as well as torture,
leading to a form of martial law being used
against those taking part.

Bahrain plans austerity steps amid budget

deficit
The International
Monetary Fund urged
Bahrain to take
sizable steps to
reduce its budget
deficit following an
increase due to a
slump in oil prices. The
government is already
planning new austerity steps to reduce its
deficit and to date has lifted subsidies on
meat and oil and is now heading towards
cutting subsidies on electricity and water.
Bahrain may also introduce a value-added
tax, cut spending on social transfers and
freeze public-sector wages. The IMF
expected Bahrains gross domestic product
growth to fall to 2.2 percent in 2016 from 3.2
percent in 2015 and 4.5 percent in 2014.

Bahrain Ministries replace cars despite

budget deficit
The Bahraini
government replaced
the cars of a number
of ministries with new
2016 BMWs, despite
the increasing budget
deficit. A senior member in the Parliament
said that it was necessary to replace the cars
as they have been in service since 2011 and
repairing them would cost more. This move
came after the government took a series
of austerity measures and lifted subsides on
meat, fuel and electricity. Bahrains deficit
for 2016-2015 was estimated at BD3 billion,
however, when the price of oil dropped to
20$s, it deficit increased by about %66.

Al-Singace ends a -313day hunger strike

Abduljalil Al-Singace,
the leading
opposition figure,
ended a -313day
hunger strike that he
launched in protest at
the collective punishment and acts of torture
that police inflicted upon prisoners following
a protest in Jaw Prison in March. Al-Singaces
health deteriorated which made the prisons
administration transfer him to the police clinic
affiliated to the Bahraini Ministry of Interior.
Al-Singace is to remain in the clinic to receive
treatment. Medical tests showed that AlSingace suffers from low blood pressure,
deterioration of the immune system, muscle
twitching, digestive disorders and vertigo.
Al-Singace stressed that he chose number
13+300( 313) to remind about the case of the
13 figures who are still arrested over their
political opinion and peaceful activism.

Said Yousif AlMuhafdah - Vice

President Bahrain
Centre for Human
Rights
During the last week
only, the Bahrain
Center for Human
Rights, which I work
in, recorded 29
arbitrary arrest cases
including 4 children.
Arresting protestors and
democracy seekers
is still continuing in
Bahrain. However, what
is more dangerous
is that some are
subjected to enforced
disappearances, which
the United Nations,
classify as a crime
against humanity.
Moreover, dozens
claim being subjected
to torture in the
Criminal Investigation
Department as
documented by
Human Rights Watch
that received new
evidence about the
ongoing torture.
The jurisdiction in
Bahrain is used as a
tool to pursue the
human rights activists,
tweeters and political
activists, taking into
consideration that the
trials do not conform
to international fair trial
standards. Defendants
are not granted their
full rights and the
charges brought forth
against them are
related to freedom of
expression and opinion.
For instance, Majeed
Milad, who talked
about violations and
demanded reform,
is being tried for his
views.

Bahrain in the
Media

15 - year jail terms

added for Bahrainis
involved in prison
mutiny

Bahrain campaigners
warn Fifa sponsors of
concerns over Sheikh
Salman

Fifa sponsors warned by

Bahrain campaigners
of Sheikh Salman
concerns

The Government Is
Selling Weapons In
Bahrain Today But You
Probably Didnt Know
About It

Bahrain says austerity

plans in line with IMF

NGO`s on
Bahrain:

Bahrain: Torture Allegations

Expose Sham Reforms

Joint letter calling on

authorities to lift the
arbitrary travel ban on
Nabeel Rajab

Bahrain: Trial of 57 opened

amidst allegations of abuse
during prison riot

Dr. Al-Samahiji referred to court over tweets

The public
prosecution said that
Dr. Saeed Al-Samahiji
was referred to court
for posting tweets
condemning the
execution by Saudi Arabia of Sheikh Nimr
Al-Nimr. Al-Samahiji was charged of insulting
Saudi Arabia, calling for demonstrations and
disobedience of the law and regulations
of the Kingdom of Bahrain. He, however,
denied the charges brought against him.
The prosecution referred Al-Samahiji,
while in custody, to Bahrains Ninth Minor
Criminal Court which looked into his case
and adjourned it until February 4th for
deliberation. Al-Samahijis lawyer asked the
court for a copy of the cases documents
and to release Al-Samahiji due to his age and
the diseases he suffers from.

Bahrains Fake Human

Rights Conference Another
PR Disaster

Jalila Al-Sayed released

Protest against AlNimr execution

repressed
Protest against AlNimr execution
repressed in Sitra
Arrest of citizen in
Sitra
Protest in Maqaba
Protest in Bilad Al
Qadeem

A Bahraini court
released detainee
Jalila Al-Sayed after
spending about a
year in prison and
adjourned looking
into her case until February 21. Bahraini
authorities had previously renewed the
period of her imprisonment several times
pending investigation. Al-Sayed is accused of
insulting the king and misusing social media
outlets. She was arrested on 10th February
2015 after security forces raided her house
while she was asleep and confiscated her
laptops, mobile phones and some of her
belongings.

55 INTERNATIONAL NGOS
URGE BAHRAIN TO STOP
HARASSING SHEIKH
MAYTHAM AL SALMAN

Useful links:

Majeed Milads case adjourned until Feb. 16

The Bahraini courts
adjourned the hearing
of Majeed Milad, the
member of Al Wefaqs
General Secretariat, to
February 16th. Milad
is sentenced to two years in prison over the
charge of publically inciting disobedience of
law. Milad was arrested on 1st July 2015 after
participating in a political forum. The Public
Prosecution has also charged him of inciting
non-compliance with legal restrictions.

Al Wefaq National Islamic

Society

Bahrain Centre for Human

Rights

News from Outside Bahrain

Bahrain loses voting right in UN
Ban Ki-Moon, the UN
Secretary-General,
said that Bahrain was
amongst 15 countries
have lost their right to
vote after they failed
to pay the membership charge. Bahrain,
Venezuela, Libya, Mali, Marshall Islands and
Vanuatu were among the 15 countries. For its
part, the Bahraini Foreign Ministry commented
that the United Nations General Assembly
didnt issue a decision depriving Bahrain of its
right to vote, pointing out that Bahrain has
paid all of its financial obligations to the
international organization and its main
bodies. Ban Ki-Moon said that some
exceptions can be made for the states that
have failed to pay due to conditions beyond
their control and thus, the voting right of each
of Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and
Principe, Somalia and Yemen is to remain.
Iran was included among the 15 countries;
however, after it paid its arrears, its right was
restored.

Bahrain Mirror

Bahrain Watch

Manama Document

Bahrain to close Irans Future Bank

Bahrains central
bank has decided
to close down the
Iranian-owned Future
Bank, which is based
in Bahrain.. The Future
Bank is a joint venture between Iranian Bank
Saderat and Bank Melli and Bahrains Ahli
United Bank. This move comes after Bahrain
decided to follow Saudi Arabia and sever its
diplomatic ties with Iran after the execution of
Sheikh Al-Nimr. Last year, the Bahraini central
banks regulator put Future Bank under its
administration along with Iran Insurance
Company under the pretext of protect the
rights of depositors and policyholders. The
banks assets stood at 569.4 million dinars
(1.51$ billion) at the end of September 2015,
according to the latest financial statement
on the banks website. Bahrains central bank
has not given any reasons for its decision to
close Future Bank.

Bahrain orders 19 new Airbus to renew its

fleet

Aimed at renewing its

fleet, Bahrains
national carrier Gulf
Air said it will buy 19
new Airbus worth of
2.35$ billion and said it
would upgrade a Boeing-aircraft order to 16
at 4.2$ billion. It also changed its previous
order of 16 Boeing 8-787s aircraft to
-16Dreamliner 9-787s. The Airbus
announcement came at the launch of the
three-day Bahrain Air Show and the order
included 17 A321neo and 12 A320neo in
addition to 10 A320neo that were confirmed
in 2012. The delivery is said to start on June
2018. To purchase the aircraft, Gulf Air plans
an equal split between financing and leasebuy-back structures. Gulf Air Chief Financial
Officer Sahar Ataei said, Were looking at all
financing options in the market to keep a
healthy balance sheet. We are also seeking
international financial advisers assistance in
this area to look at our financing strategy.

Sandhurst Academy criticised for training

officers from states including Bahrain
The British military
Sandhurst Academy
is training hundreds of
officers from regimes
with repressive human
rights records, including
Bahrain, which is accused of engaging in
systematic torture, extra-judicial killing and
enforced disappearances. The Academy
trains officers from oppressive countries like
Saudi Arabia that is engaged in war against
Yemen and UAE that tortures and detains
a number of people. Officers from Qatar
and Oman are also being trained in the
Academy. Tim Farron MP, the leader of the
Liberal Democrat Party, said that we training
these people who then use our techniques
to suppress their people, adding, it is time
to stand up for the values we talk about
so much - democracy and human rights.
We need to end the training of overseas
royals from systems with terrible human rights
records at Sandhurst.

Bahrain freedom ranking continues to

deteriorate
For the 7th
consecutive year,
Free House has
labeled Bahrain
as not free in its
annual freedom index. It described the
stripping of citizenships used as a weapon
against opposition activists of more evidence
of Bahrains slip down the rankings. The report
said with little pushback from its U.S. ally,
continued its shameful efforts to silence the
opposition by stripping its leading critics, most
of them Shiites, of their citizenship.

HRW Slams Bahrain for failing to stop

torture
Human Rights
Watch issued its
2015 world report
with the Bahrain
section entitled
Bahrain: Torture
Allegations Expose
Sham Reforms in
which it slammed Bahrain for failing to stop
torture and to address the culture of impunity
that fosters torture. The much-ballyhooed
reforms will remain false advertising until
Bahrain stops jailing activists and opposition
leaders, holds officers accountable for serious
abuses like torture, and gets serious about
judicial and security service reform, said
Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director.
People who were arrested between 2013
and 2015 described the various types of
torturing methods which they were subject
to; including electric shocks, prolonged
suspension in painful positions, severe
beatings, threats to be raped and killed,
forced standing, exposure to extreme cold,
and sexual abuse. According to the report,
there are more than 3000 prisoners in arbitrary
detention in Bahrain.

NGOs call on Bahrain to lift travel ban

imposed on Nabeel Rajab
A number of NGOs
sent a joint letter to
the Bahraini authorities
urging them to lift the
travel ban imposed
on Nabeel Rajab, the human rights defender
and president of Bahrain Center for Human
Rights. Rajab needs to travel abroad with his
wife as she needs urgent medical treatment
that is not available in Bahrain. The NGOs
called on the authorities to drop all pending
free speech-related charges against Nabeel
Rajab, guarantee in all circumstances that
human rights defenders in Bahrain are able
to carry out their legitimate human rights
activities without fear of reprisals, and free of
all restrictions including judicial harassment.
The prosecution imposed a travel ban on
Rajab without any judicial determination
on 13th July 2015. The travel ban is related
to speech-related charges that prosecutors
have not dropped.

55 international NGOs urge Bahrain to

stop harassing Sheikh Maytham Al-Salman
55 international NGOs
condemned the
ongoing harassment
of Sheikh Maytham
Al-Salman, the human
rights defender,
and called to drop
all charges raised
against him. The NGOs urged the authorities
to release all prisoners who have been
convicted for their political opinions and fully
comply with the recommendations of the
Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
(BICI); particularly those that ensure the
right to freedom of expression, opinion and
assembly are respected. Sheikh Al-Salman
was arrested in 2015 at Bahrains airport
and was then released. He was recently
summoned to investigation over a speech
he delivered marking the anniversary of the
arrest of Sheikh Ali Salman, in which he drew
attention to the violations of international
fair trial standards that took place. He was
accused of expressing views regarding a
case still in court and inciting hatred against
the regime.

About Bahrain Justice and Development Movement:

Bahrain Justice and Development Movement (BJDM) is based in London, UK and
promotes democratic reform in Bahrain. We work with opposition figures both inside
and outside Bahrain, supporting their efforts to raise awareness of the situation in
Bahrain, as well as advocating political reform of a democratic nature.
Contact:
info@bahrainjdm.org www.bahrainjdm.org / http://bahrainjdm.hopto.org
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