Bahrain activist sentenced to 3 years for protests

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — A three-year prison sentence handed down Thursday to a prominent Bahraini human rights activist for instigating and participating in several anti-government rallies prompted rare criticism from the United States and sparked clashes in the streets of the Gulf nation's capital.

The unexpectedly harsh sentence against Nabeel Rajab is also likely to raise questions about the Western-backed Sunni monarchy's commitment to reform, and embolden anti-government protesters who have been demonstrating for the past 18 months, calling for greater rights in this Gulf island kingdom that is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th fleet.

The monarchy considers most anti-government rallies as "illegal gatherings" punishable by law.

Rajab, who is already serving a three-month sentence for posting anti-government comments on Twitter, was in court for the verdict. He is the president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.

The State Department said it was "deeply troubled" by the verdict, while the European Union "noted with concern" the sentence. Rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, also condemned the verdict.

"We've long made clear that it's critical for all governments, including Bahrain, to respect freedom of expression, freedom of assembly," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. "So we are deeply troubled by the sentencing today. We believe that all people have a fundamental freedom to participate in civil acts of peaceful disobedience, and we call on the government of Bahrain to take steps to build confidence across Bahraini society and to begin a really meaningful dialogue with the political opposition and civil society because actions like this sentencing today only serve to further divide Bahraini society."

Rajab's attorney Mohammed al-Jishi said his client was sentenced to a year in prison for each of three protests he took part in, bringing the total sentence to three years. Al-Jishi said he plans to appeal the ruling.

"What happened today in the court room shows clearly there is no justice or independent judiciary," said Rajab's wife Sumayia, who was also in court with her son and daughter. "My husband is not a criminal but a hostage of a government which can't stand freedom of expression and freedom of assembly."

Prosecutors defended the ruling, contending that Rajab urged his followers to confront security forces, which in turn led to riots across the Bahraini capital, Manama — contradicting Najab's and his supporters claims that he was calling for peaceful protests.

"The Public Prosecution produced evidence that the accused had called in public speeches for a demonstration to confront public security personnel, inciting violence and escalation against law enforcement officers, resulting in deaths during those confrontations," Prosecutor Mohamed Hazza said.

In a separate case involving comments made on social media site Twitter, a judge delayed issuing a verdict against Rajab's appeal until Aug. 23.

Bahrain has experienced near-daily protests since February 2011, following an uprising by the kingdom's Shiite majority seeking greater political rights from the Western-backed Sunni monarchy. At least 50 people have died in the unrest and hundreds have been detained, including prominent rights activists and Shiite opposition leaders.

Shiites account for about 70 percent of Bahrain's population of just over half a million people, but claim they face widespread discrimination and lack opportunities granted to the Sunni minority. The country's leaders have offered some reforms including restoring jobs for many Shiites pushed out from their posts at the start of the uprising and giving parliament more power.

But the opposition says they fall short of Shiite demands for a greater voice in the country's affairs and an elected government.

The unrest has put Washington into an awkward position. U.S. officials have called for efforts to reopen political dialogue in Bahrain, but are careful not to press too hard against the nation's leadership and possibly jeopardize their important military ties.

Rights groups said the verdict raises questions over whether the regime is serious about reforms. The groups have called for his immediate release.

"It seems Bahrain's rulers are far more comfortable with harsh repression than with the reforms King Hamad keeps promising," said Joe Stork, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa division. "The government has yet to show that Nabeel Rajab did any more than exercise his right to free expression and peaceful assembly. He should be set free, not sent away from his family to prison."

Brian Dooley of the U.S.-based Human Rights First agreed. "Even those of us who have followed Bahrain's violent crackdown on human rights are shocked by today's move," he said. "It's a breathtakingly bad decision, showing that the regime's rhetoric about reform and reconciliation is a sham. The charges are patently politically-motivated, and designed to silence him."

The Shiite majority's main political bloc, Al-Wefaq, also criticized the verdict, saying the continued detention of activist and political leaders shows the regime is not interested in solving the crisis.
"By not releasing the political detainees, including key figures and leaders, the regime is refusing the political solution to the crisis and is practicing an irresponsible obstinacy," it said in a statement.
"There should be no political detainees behind bars," it continued. "They are prisoners of conscience and the regime has no right to continue to hold them as hostages as part of its security solution to the ongoing political crisis. The arrogant adoption of security measures is more destructive to society."
Late Thursday, security was tight across Manama including around the U.S. Embassy and other diplomatic compounds. Protesters burned tires on several main roadways and clashes between riot police and protesters were reported in some Shiite neighborhoods.

Bahrain court delays case in hunger striker appeal

 

By REEM KHALIFA | Associated Press – Mon, Apr 23, 2012

MANAMA, Bahrain  — A Bahrain court heard appeals Monday from defense lawyers for a jailed hunger striker and other activists seeking to overturn their sentences linked to the Shiite-led uprising against the Gulf kingdom's Sunni monarchy.

The court set the next hearing for April 30 amid claims by the family of hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja that his health is in sharp decline nearly 11 weeks into his protest. Bahrain officials insist al-Khawaja faces no immediate medical risks.

Al-Khawaja's case has become a centerpiece of anti-government protests while adding to international pressure on Bahrain's rulers. Earlier this month, Bahrain rejected Denmark's request to take custody of al-Khawaja, who is also a Danish citizen.

"We consider the situation to be very, very serious," Foreign Minister Villy Soevndal said in a Danish television interview. "We think we're talking about days during which action must be taken if anything has to be achieved in this case."

Al-Khawaja and seven other Shiite activists were sentenced to life in prison last year. The convictions were part of Bahrain's crackdowns during the more than 14-month-old uprising by the country's Shiite majority, which seeks to reduce the wide-ranging powers of the ruling Sunni dynasty.

Thirteen other political figures were sentenced — some in absentia — to lesser prison terms and also are part of the appeal.

Neither al-Khawaja nor any of the other defendants were present at the hearing, which was held under tight security.

Rights organizations criticized the Bahrain court's decision to postpone al-Khawaja's appeal despite international calls for speeding up the judicial process. A statement from the Ireland-based Front Line Defenders said al-Khawaja was again "denied justice."

Al-Khawaja's daughter, Maryam, told the Danish TV2 channel that doctors predict her father "has two or three days left from today," not long enough to make it to the April 30 hearing date.

She also called on the European Union to step up pressures on the Bahraini government.

"Statements are not making a difference anymore," she said. "We need to see real actions against the Bahrani regime for all the human rights violations that are being committed."

At least 50 people have been killed since February 2011 in the unrest in the strategic island nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Opposition groups claim the most recent fatality came during weekend clashes ahead of Sunday's Formula One Grand Prix, which was canceled last year because of concerns over security. Bahraini authorities promised an investigation into the death of 36-year-old Salah Abbas Habib Musa. But photos of the body show injuries that could be caused by buckshot, which is used by riot police.

Thousands of mourners joined the funeral procession Monday chanting anti-government slogans. Security forces fired tear gas after some protest groups broke away from the funeral to confront police.

Al-Khawaja, 52, is the Front Line Defenders' former Middle East and North Africa director. He has also documented human rights abuses in Bahrain for Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Al-Khawaja is married and has four daughters. He had lived in exile for decades. He returned to Bahrain after the government announced a general amnesty in 2001.

____

Associated Press writer Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen contributed to this report.

Bahrain tense ahead of F1 after protester dies

By REEM KHALIFA | Associated Press – April 21, 2012

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — The discovery of a protester's body near the scene
of clashes on Saturday threatened to tip Bahrain deeper into unrest as a
14-month-old uprising overshadows the return of the Formula One Grand Prix
to the strategic Gulf kingdom.

Bahrain's Sunni rulers had pressed for the race to be held as a chance to
rebuild their credibility on the world stage after it was called off last
year as police and army troops cracked down on dissent.

Persistent protests, however, have left the monarchy struggling to keep
attention on Sunday's Formula One race — Bahrain's premier international
event — as the country's Shiite majority pressed ahead with a campaign to
break the near monopoly on power by the ruling Sunni dynasty, which has
close ties to the West.

At least 50 people have died in the conflict since February 2011 in the
longest-running street battles of the Arab Spring.

Protesters again took their grievances to the streets nationwide Saturday
after opposition groups said that a man was killed the day before during
clashes with security forces. A statement by the Interior Ministry said
the man who died was identified as Salah Abbas Habib Musa, 36.

"Down, Down Hamad" and "We don't want Formula One," the protesters shouted
in reference to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Confrontations between
police and anti-government protesters turned violent in the Shiite
opposition stronghold of Diraz, northwest of Manama. Opposition supporters
set tires ablaze and riot police fired tear gas to disperse them. No
injuries were reported on Saturday.

Musa's body was found in an area west of the capital, Manama, where
clashes broke out after a massive protest march Friday. Opposition
factions said riot police and demonstrators were engaged in running
skirmishes around Shakhura, a village about five miles (10 kilometers)
west of the capital Manama that is known for its burial mounds dating back
more than 5,000 years.

Musa's death threatened to sharply escalate tensions in the island nation,
which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. Opposition leaders claimed
Musa was targeted by the security forces because he was a prominent
activist in the opposition February 14 movement, which has been the
driving force of Bahrain's Shiite revolt.

Authorities opened an investigation in a bid to defuse tensions. The
Interior Ministry said the case was "being treated as a homicide." It did
not give a cause of death but said investigators found "a wound" on the
left side of Musa's body.

After the announcement, thousands marched on a main highway leading out of
the capital. The heavily guarded Bahrain International Circuit, where the
F1 teams have practiced ahead of Sunday's race, was about 20 miles (15
kilometers) away from the demonstration.

Race drivers have mostly kept quiet about the controversy surrounding the
Bahrain GP.

Asked about Musa's death after taking pole position in Saturday's
qualifier, F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel said, "I think it's always
dreadful if someone dies."

Bahrain's monarchy is the main backer of the F1 race, and the crown prince
owns rights to the event.

Bahrain was the first Middle Eastern country to welcome F1 in 2004.
Members of the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty are huge fans of the sport and
the country's sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, owns 50 percent of
leading team McLaren.

Bahrain's leaders lobbied hard to hold this year's event in efforts to
portray stability and mend the country's international image despite
almost daily and increasingly violent confrontations between security
forces and protesters.

A tweet by Bahrain's foreign minister, Sheik Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa,
described a massive government-sanctioned opposition rally on Friday as
"examples of freedom of speech and assembly."

"Life goes on," he added.

The rulers have billed the F1 race as an event that will put the divided
society on the path of reconciliation. They vowed zero tolerance for
unrest and repeatedly warned the opposition against sabotaging Bahrain's
racing weekend, which will draw a worldwide TV audience of about 100
million in 187 countries.

Backed by international rights organizations, opposition groups had called
for the sporting event to be canceled again, claiming that going ahead
with the race in Bahrain would give international legitimacy to the
monarchy and its crackdown.

Besides the deaths, hundreds have been detained and tried in secret at a
special security court. Dozens have been convicted of anti-state crimes.

Eight prominent opposition figures have been sentenced to life in prison
on charges of trying to overthrow the state, including rights activist
Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, whose two-month and counting hunger strike has
galvanized the Shiite resistance in the past weeks.

Shiites account for about 70 percent of Bahrain's population of just over
half a million people, but claim they face widespread discrimination and
lack opportunities granted to the Sunni minority. The country's leaders
have offered some reforms, but the opposition says they fall short of
Shiite demands for a greater voice in the country's affairs and an elected
government.

The unrest has put Washington into an awkward position. U.S. officials
have called for efforts to reopen political dialogue in Bahrain, but are
careful not to press too hard against the nation's leadership and possibly
jeopardize its important military ties.

___

Associated Press writer Barbara Surk in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
contributed to this report.

Funeral in Bahrain erupts in violence

April 13, 2012 CNN

Thousands of mourners defied government forces and took to the
streets Friday in Salmabad, Bahrain, to attend the funeral of Ahmed
Ismaeel, who was killed last week in anti-government protests, witnesses
told CNN.

"Despite this ruling family we will be protesting even if we all become
martyrs," said a man's voice over a loudspeaker. "You are the free people,
do not bow to them!"

To that, the crowd chanted, "Just to God we will bow!"

CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the video.

The funeral procession was held without incident, but clashes broke out
during the burial between mourners and riot police, a witness said.
F1 chief: Sport, politics should not mix

Several people were injured when protesters hurled petrol bombs and rocks
and police responded with bird shot and tear gas, the witness said.

Activist Ala'a Shehehabi of Bahrain Watch said she, too, attended the
funeral. "It was seething with anger and full of anti-government chants,"
she said. "As we were leaving the burial we were attacked by the riot
police. We saw the police coming in and got in our car."

Shehehabi shot video that she said showed teargas and shotgun pellets
being used on the demonstrators.

"It was use of excessive force," she said. "The policy is collective
punishment. They target everyone on the street that's doing anything. It's
bad. It's wrong. It's happened to every funeral I've been to."

She said she believed the crackdown was an attempt by the government to
clear away protesters before next weekend's planned Formula 1 Gulf Air
Bahrain Grand Prix.

In a news release issued Friday, the race's governing body said its
president traveled last November to Bahrain and met with "a large number
of decision-makers and opinion formers, including elected Shia members of
parliament, the president of the Bahrain Independent Commission of
Inquiry, ambassadors from the European Union countries, the Crown Prince,
the Interior Minister and many members of the business community.

"All expressed their wish for the Grand Prix to go ahead in 2012," it said.

But Bahrain Watch's Shehehabi said there was growing resentment among
Bahrainis to the planned event. "Formula 1 is giving the perception that
is intrinsically linked to the regime. It's its pet project. Going against
Formula 1 is going against the government."

That view was supported by the Bahrain Youth Coalition, which has
organized a number of anti-government protests.

"The vast majority of Bahraini people have clearly expressed their
objection to F1 to take place in Bahrain," the coalition said. "Insistence
to hold the race in our occupied land presents a great provocation to the
feelings of people and disregards the blood that is shed every day."

In a statement, Human Rights Watch said the decision to go ahead with the
race "gives Bahrain's rulers the opportunity they are seeking to obscure
the seriousness of the country's human rights situation."

"Formula 1 promoters say their decision to race in Bahrain should not be
derailed by political considerations, but the ruling family will attempt
to portray today's decision as a political statement of support for its
repressive policies," said Tom Porteious, deputy program director at Human
Rights Watch.

Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres said Thursday in a
statement on its website that patients from all religious and political
backgrounds "continue to avoid seeking medical care in public hospitals
due to perceived discrimination, harassment, and ill treatment."

The group suspended activities in Bahrain in March. "Since last summer,
hundreds of patients have avoided going to public hospitals," said Bart
Janssens, Medecins Sans Frontieres director of operations in Brussels.

There was no immediate response from the Bahrain government to a request
for comment.

Further inflaming a number of the protesters was the precarious health of
a jailed activist who has been on a hunger strike for more than two
months.

Friday marked the 65th day without food for Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, 52.

Bahrain Information Authority International Counselor Abdul-Aziz bin
Mubarak said that he was in stable condition and being administered fluids
intravenously with his consent.

Al-Khawaja was arrested a year ago and is serving a life sentence for his
role in anti-government protests that continue to roil Bahrain.

The United Nations has urged Bahrain to consider transferring the
detainee, who holds Danish citizenship, to Denmark on humanitarian
grounds.

But Mubarak said that the prisoner was being well cared for and that
government officials had no plans to send him to Denmark. "We are
providing him with all the care that he needs in order for his condition
to be as stable as possible," Mubarak said.

Amnesty International said this week in a statement that al-Khawaja and 13
other prominent opposition activists are being held "solely for peacefully
exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly."

The men have not advocated any violence, said Amnesty.

Relatives are concerned about his health. His daughter said al-Khawaja is
having trouble breathing and is harassed by hospital staff and security
guards.

Al-Khawaja was arrested in April 2011 for his role in anti-government
protests that began a month earlier with demands for political reform and
greater freedoms in the Sunni-ruled, Shiite-majority nation.

In June, Bahrain found him and seven other Shiite opposition activists
guilty of plotting to overthrow the country's Sunni royal family.

He can appeal his life sentence during a hearing April 23, the government
said.


Denmark 'demands' release of Bahrain activist

Danish prime minister says Shia hunger striker in "very critical"
condition, as doubts cloud upcoming Formula One race.

10 Apr 2012 Al Jazeera

A jailed activist who has been on hunger strike in a Bahrain prison for
the last two months is now in a very critical
condition, Denmark's prime minister has said.

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a Shia activist with dual Danish and Bahraini
nationality, was sentenced with other opposition activists to life in jail
over an alleged plot to topple the Sunni monarchy during a month-long
protest a year ago.

"Denmark demands the Danish-Bahraini citizen and human rights activist
Khawaja be freed," said Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt on Tuesday
at a press conference.

In Video

Al-Khawaja's daughter, Zainab, speaks to Al Jazeera

"According to our information, Khawaja's condition is very critical," she
added.

Kwawaja's lawyer Mohammed al-Jeshi told the AFP news agency on Monday that
Khawaja was feared to have died, after Bahraini authorities turned down
repeated requests to contact him.

The last time he contacted Khawaja was on Saturday, a day after he was
moved from the interior ministry hospital into a military hospital in
Manama, he said.

Reacting to his statement, Bahrain's interior ministry said later on
Monday that Khawaja was in "good health".

UN involvement

A Danish foreign ministry spokesman said Khawaja was alive on Monday
according to "credible independent sources" who saw him that day.

Danish ambassador to Bahrain Christian Koenigsfeldt was not allowed to see
the prisoner on Sunday or Monday, as he has done daily, the spokesman told
AFP.

Denmark has asked Bahrain to send Khawaja to the Scandinavian country but
Bahrain's official news agency BNA reported on Sunday that Manama has
rejected the request.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said Bahrain should consider the
transfer of Khawaja to Denmark on humanitarian grounds.

UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters that "in cases where there is a
hunger strike, the health and well-being of the person should be the
foremost concern".

Western rights groups say Khawaja and 13 other opposition figures in
prison for their role in last year's protests are prisoners of conscience
and should be freed.

Requests 'refused'

Zainab al-Khawaja, the daughter of Abdul Hadi al-Khawaj, told Al Jazeera
that the family had "no idea" about the state of his health as they had
not been allowed to call or visit him.

On Monday, his lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi told the AFP news agency:
"Authorities have been refusing since yesterday all requests, made by
myself and by his family, to visit or contact al-Khawaja."

Jishi said the last time he contacted Khawaja was on Saturday, a day after
he was moved from the interior ministry hospital to a military hospital in
Manama.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Fahad al-Binali, from Bahrain's Information
Affairs Authority, said that it "must be remembered that the convictions
against Abdul Hadi al-Khawaja are serious charges".

Formula One winner Jackie Stewart speaks to Al Jazeera about the Bahraini
Grand Prix

"Any person who demands reform must understand that the rule of law comes
first," he said.

Formula One

Protesters have also demonstrated against plans to host the Formula One
Grand Prix this month in Manama.

Last year's race in Bahrain was postponed, reinstated and then cancelled
due to the uprising and bloody crackdown.

The governing International Automobile Federation and Bahrain organisers
have all said the race is still on for April 22.

But Formula One teams headed to China on Monday for a race on April 15
still unsure whether their return trip would take in Bahrain for the
following race amid the safety fears.

Team sources told the Reuters news agency that some had hedged their bets
by routing personnel on return flights via Abu Dhabi, Dubai or Oman with
alternative reservations for the last leg of the journey back from
Shanghai.


Saudi activist on hunger strike 'in danger'

A human rights group says Mohammad al Bajadi,a Saudi Arabian activist,
stopped drinking water, and is fainting.

11 Apr 2012 Al Jazeera

A Saudi human rights group voiced alarm about the health of one of its
jailed members, who has been on hunger strike for almost a month and has
recently stopped drinking water also.

"The interior ministry... carries full responsibility over the
deteriorating health condition of prominent rights activist and member of
the association Mohammed bin Saleh al-Bajadi," the Saudi Civil and
Political Rights Association (ACPRA) said.

Bajadi "stopped drinking water early Saturday... fainting four times in a
row, which proves that his life is in danger and his death inevitable,"
said the statement.

But interior ministry spokesman Mansur al-Turki denied to AFP that Bajadi
is on hunger strike.

"Bajadi is taking his meals regularly and is in good health," he said.

The rights group called for Bajadi's "immediate release," saying he must
face a "fair public trial."

According to the Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR), he is protesting his
ill-treatment and arbitrary detention, after which he was kept in solitary
confinement for four months.

"Mohammad al-Bajadi shouldn't be imprisoned for peacefully exercising his
rights to freedom of expression and assembly," said Nabeel Rajab, director
of GCHR, and added, "I call on the Saudi king to immediately release him
and do everything in his power to protect and support the legitimate work
of human rights defenders and also to meet all legal obligations under
international law."

Last month, ACPRA said Bajadi, 34, was arrested after publicly revealing
information about the alleged "death by torture of Yemeni citizen Sultan
Abdo al-Duais" while in Saudi custody.

He was arrested at his home in Buraidah, al-Qassim province by security
forces on 21 March 2011 and remains in incommunicado detention since, said
the GCHR.

A fellow activist, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Bajadi
has been charged with "inciting people to protest, possession of banned
books and damaging the reputation of the state."

Travel ban

The GCHR reported that the ministry of interior has also imposed a
ten-year travel ban on Sheikh Mukhlif al-Shammari, another human rights
activist.

Shammari, a writer and prominent rights advocate, was arrested in June
2010 and charged with "disturbing others" through his articles. This
charge was eventually dismissed in the Court of First Instance.

He was stopped on April 8th while trying to cross by land into Bahrain.

"They have taken this action because of my peaceful activities in defense
of human rights," Shammari said. "This ban is a violation of all treaties
signed by Saudi Arabia to protect human rights."

Bahrain protesters clash with riot police following youth’s funeral

March 19, 2012 Agence France Presse

DUBAI: Bahraini security forces clashed with youths Sunday after the funeral of a protester who allegedly died after inhaling tear gas fired by riot police, witnesses said.The clashes erupted in the Shiite village of Al-Muqsha, north of the capital Manama, following the funeral of Jaafar Jassem Ridha, 41.

The main Shiite opposition group Al-Wefaq said Ridha died after inhaling tear gas fired at a recent demonstration that was violently dispersed by riot police.

Al-Wefaq also said Sunday that another Bahraini, 27-year-old Sabri Mahfud, had died after inhaling tear gas, without elaborating on the circumstances or date of the incident.

The Interior Ministry said on Twitter that a group of people “provoked acts of violence and barricaded the streets” after Ridha’s burial, adding that necessary “lawful measures” were taken to contain the situation, without saying what these were.

The ministry also announced Sunday the opening of a probe into claims that a policeman had thrown a petrol bomb, as a video posted online appeared to show. The inquiry could lead to disciplinary measures against the suspect, a senior ministry official said in a statement.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on March 19, 2012, on page 8.

Bahrain tear-gases protesters ahead of anniversary

Feb. 12, 2012 AFP

A Bahraini Shiite waving a national flag in central Manama in 2011.
Security forces in Bahrain used tear gas on Sunday against hundreds of
protesters trying to approach Manama's former Pearl Square, the focal
point of a month of Shiite-led protests last year, witnesses told AFP.
(AFP Photo/Joseph Eid)Enlarge Photo

A Bahraini Shiite waving a national flag in central Manama in 2011.
Security forces …

Security forces in Bahrain used tear gas on Sunday against hundreds of
protesters trying to approach Manama's former Pearl Square, the focal
point of a month of Shiite-led protests last year, witnesses told AFP.

Several small groups of demonstrators numbering several hundred people
tried to march from Shiite neighbourhoods around the capital to the square
ahead of Tuesday's first anniversary of the outbreak of the 2011 protests.

But the witnesses said police used tear gas and sound grenades against the
protesters, who were chanting slogans demanding reform, and prevented them
from reaching the square.

It was not immediately known if there were any casualties.

Security personnel had deployed in force on Sunday after calls by the
opposition and activists for protests marking the anniversary, activists
and witnesses said.

Activists had called for demonstrations on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
towards Pearl Square, epicentre of the protest that erupted on February 14
last year and was crushed a month later, said Mohammed Maskati, head of
the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights.

Witnesses reported a heavy security presence at main junctions in Manama
from Sunday morning, especially at the Al-Farook interchange that was
built on Pearl Square, which was razed a day after the protest was
crushed.

Several checkpoints were set up and caused traffic jams, especially around
the afternoon rush hour, they added.

Last year's crackdown by the Sunni-ruled nation led to the deaths of 35
people, including five security personnel and five detainees who were
tortured to death, an independent commission of inquiry appointed by King
Hamad found.

Clashes follow teen protester's funeral in Bahrain

By REEM KHALIFA | Associated Press – Jan. 1, 2012

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Riot police in Bahrain fired tear gas, rubber
bullets and stun grenades as they clashed Sunday with hundreds of
opposition supporters, some hurling Molotov cocktails, following the
politically charged funeral of a 15-year-old boy.

Thousands of opposition supporters carrying Bahraini flags and chanting
anti-government slogans converged on the island of Sitra, south of the
capital Manama, to mourn the death of Sayed Hashim Saeed. They are
demanding that police be tried for the deaths of some 40 people since
protests began in February.

Police earlier tried to seal off the site of the funeral to prevent crowds
from gathering.

The clash on Sitra marks the latest burst of violence in more than 10
months of confrontations and widespread street protests on the strategic
Gulf island nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. The
country's Shiite-led opposition is pressing for greater rights and reforms
from the country's Sunni monarchy.

The opposition says the teenager died Saturday after a tear gas canister
fired at close range hit him in the chest.

Jaffer al-Sheik, 40, who identified himself as a relative of Saeed, said
after the funeral that the boy died while participating in a protest
march. He said the canister fired by riot police caused burns on Saeed's
chest arm and head.

The Interior Ministry has raised questions about the circumstances of
Saeed's death, saying that burns on the boy's body could not have come
from a tear gas canister. It has asked the public prosecutor to
investigate.

A statement signed by six opposition groups condemned Sunday's attack on
the funeral procession.

"We reaffirm our commitment to nonviolence," the statement said. "We call
on the government to stop its policy of repression... and bring to trial
those accused to respond to the legitimate demands of the Bahraini
people."

Also Sunday, Bahrain's new police chief announced that the kingdom would
hire an additional 500 police officers "from all sections of Bahrain
society," according to a statement from the country's Information Affairs
Authority. The official, Tariq Alhassan, said the extra officers would
work only in communities from where they were recruited.

Bahrain's Shiites have long complained of systematic discrimination that
largely keeps them out of state security forces and top government jobs.

The government has vowed to undertake reforms following the release of a
report in November that outlined human rights abuses carried out by the
government during this year's unrest.

Violence ends brief truce at Egypt protest

Digest: Articles from Egypt, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen


Riot police break ceasefire near Cairo's Tahrir Square as crowd swells in
demand for end to military rule.

Last Modified: 23 Nov 2011 Al Jazeera

A brief attempt by Egypt's military to interpose a ceasefire between riot
police and civilians near the epicentre of protests against military rule
has disintegrated into another night of violence around Cairo's Tahrir
Square.

Police from the interior ministry's Central Security Forces appeared to
fire an unprovoked barrage of tear gas at a large crowd gathered on
Mohamed Mahmoud Street on Wednesday afternoon, witnesses said, despite a
truce that had settled in after the arrival of army vehicles and religious
scholars.

"Protesters are on the front lines to stop the security forces from
attacking the rest of us in Tahrir," Rebab el-Mahdy, a politics professor
at the American University in Cairo, told Al Jazera.

"Interior ministry forces are out of control ... they're not being
professional and they're not being controlled by the military council."

Ambulances raced back from Mohamed Mahmoud Street and other frontline
battles south and east of the square throughout the night, ferrying dozens
of protesters suffering from tear-gas inhalation.

Fighting also resumed in other cities. In Alexandria, Egypt's
second-largest city, clashes erupted for another night along a street near
the main security directorate.

Riot police there fired tear gas after the withdrawal of the army, which
had stepped in to oversee a prisoner release.

Besides Alexandria, clashes were reported in Ismailia, a city east of Cairo.

During a tour of Tahrir Square during the day, Amr Helmy, the health
minister, acknowledged that security forces had used live ammunition, but
he denied swirling rumours that they had also fired tear gas mixed with a
nerve agent.

Many protesters have described having unusually painful and intense
reactions to the tear gas being used in Cairo.

According to Human Rights Watch, doctors and morgue workers have counted
at least 22 people shot dead by live ammunition.

At least 35 people have died and 3,250 have been wounded across Egypt
since violence broke out on Saturday, the health ministry announced on
Wednesday.

The ceasefire in Cairo was reportedly negotiated by religious scholars
from al-Azhar University, the historical seat of Sunni theology, after
Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the grand imam of al-Azhar, called on the riot
police to halt their attacks on protesters.

The military deployed three armoured personnel carriers to Mohamed Mahmoud
Street and positioned soldiers between the riot police and protesters, but
the truce ended within an hour in a hail of gas.

Concessions rejected

Thousands of people have remained in Tahrir Square in rejection of
concessions offered during a Tuesday-night speech by Field Marshal
Muhammed Hussein Tantawi, the chairman of the ruling Supreme Council of
the Armed Forces, which took power in February after President Hosni
Mubarak was ousted following an 18-day uprising.

"The people want the fall of the field marshal," they called in thunderous
unison, waving large Egyptian flags and signs denouncing the military.

The crisis began when riot police violently cleared a small encampment in
Tahrir Square on Saturday, and protesters say the continued fighting has
hardened their resolve to remove the military from power and complete a
revolution that began in January.

"The entire movement over the past few months has been about putting the
military in check. Now, the general sentiment is we don't trust authority,
or at least, we don't trust this authority."

- Amr Gharbeia, Egyptian activist

Tantawi announced on state media that the military had no interest in
staying in power and that parliamentary elections scheduled to begin on
November 28 would go ahead.

He also pledged that a presidential election to replace the military
council would take place before July 2012, the first time the military has
set a deadline for the vote.

The presidential election would mark the last step in a transition of
power to civilian rule.

"We ask for fair elections. We do not care who runs for elections and who
is elected president and yet we are accused of being biased," Tantawi said
on in his address.

But protesters in Tahrir Square and else have demanded an immediate
transfer of power to a civilian council with authority over the SCAF.

"There was nothing he could say that would meet our expectations. They
have nothing to give us. All we want is for the end of military rule,
immediately," Sherief Gaber, a 27-year-old demonstrator, told Al Jazeera.

"People were burned once by thinking they could trust Mubarak’s people and
the only thing they can trust is their own presence in the streets."

Pressure mounts

Domestic and international pressure for the SCAF to end the violence also
continued to mount as the interior ministry riot police appeared
increasingly to act without orders from the military.

In the US, the White House said it was "deeply concerned" by the security
forces's response, while the state department said the Egyptian government
- meaning the SCAF - "has a particular responsibility to restrain security
forces" and must "exercise maximum restraint".

Victoria Nuland, the state department spokeswoman, said Washington was
"looking forward to the naming of a new Egyptian government".

Also on Wednesday, Navi Pillay, the United Nations' human rights chief,
called for a "prompt, impartial and independent investigation" into the
riot police's "excessive use of force [and] ... improper use of teargas,
rubber bullets and live ammunition."
Follow in-depth coverage of country in turmoil

The SCAF, in a new communique released on its Facebook page on Wednesday,
said its forces had not used tear gas and would never "shed the blood" of
the Egyptian people. The military urged the people not to listen to
"rumors".

Though the SCAF has accepted the resignation of an interim cabinet that it
approved earlier this year, a new government has yet to form.

Sources told Al Jazeera the military had asked Novel laureate and
presidential hopeful Mohamed ElBaradei to form a "national salvation"
government, but ElBaradei was said to be hesitating over whether he would
have authority to choose his own ministers.

In Alexandria, lawyers and activists told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that at
least two people were killed during protests in the northern city
overnight.

At least one man, identified as 38-year-old oil engineer Sherif Sami Abdel
Hamid, was killed by live ammunition.

Al Jazeera’s Rawya Rageh, reporting from outside a morgue in Alexandria,
said Abdel Hamid was walking with his wife and two children and not
participating in the protest when a stray bullet hit him.

Witnesses said a second victim - believed to be a high school student -
suffocated from tear gas in the city, though Al Jazeera could not
immediately confirm the death.



Dozens of deaths reported in Syria crackdown

Activists say at least 41 killed in 24 hours as Turkey says Assad's
actions pose risk of regional turmoil.

23 Nov 2011 Al Jazeera

Activists say at least 41 people have been killed across Syria over the
past 24 hours, amid warning by Turkey that President Bashar al-Assad's
crackdown on dissent threatened to "drag the whole region into turmoil and
bloodshed".

The Local Co-ordinating Committees activist network said that at least
nine people were killed in Syria on Wednesday, including a child. Of those
killed, three died in the central city of Hama and two in the suburbs of
Damascus.

The UN says that more than 3,500 people, most of them civilians, have been
killed since the protests first broke out in Syria in March.

The deaths were reported as Abdullah Gul, the Turkish president, during a
speech during a state visit to Britain on Wednesday, accused "the Baath
regime continues to use oppression and violence on its own people".

"Violence breeds violence. Unfortunately Syria has come to a point of no
return," he said.


Separately, Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, said he would seek
an EU backing for humanitarian corridors in Syria "to alleviate the
suffering of the population".

However, he ruled out the possibility of military intervention to create a
"buffer zone" in northern the country. Juppe made the comments after a
meeting on Wednesday in Paris with Burhan Ghalioun, the head of the Syrian
National Council, the main opposition bloc.

"If it's possible to have a humanitarian dimension for a securitised zone
to protect civilians, that's a question which
has to be studied by the European Union on the one side and the Arab
League on the other," he said,

Juppe described the Syrian National Council as "the legitimate partner
with which we want to work".

"We are working with the Arab League and all of our allies towards its
recognition," he said.

UN resolution

Syria came under increased diplomatic pressure when the UN General
Assembly's Human Rights Committee condemned its security crackdown in a
vote backed by Western nations and a number of Arab states.

Tuesday's resolution, drafted by Britain, France and Germany, received 122
votes in favour, 13 against and 41 abstentions.

Arab states that voted for it included co-sponsors Bahrain, Jordan,
Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as Egypt.

Russia and China, which vetoed a European-drafted resolution that would
have condemned Syria in the UN Security Council last month, abstained.

Bashar Jaafari, the Syrian ambassador to the UN, said the resolution had
no meaning for his country and portrayed it as a US-inspired political
move.

"Despite the fact that the draft resolution was basically presented by
three European states, however it is no secret that the United States of
America is ... the main mind behind the political campaign against my
country," he said.

"This draft resolution has no relevance to human rights, other than it is
part of an adversarial American policy against my country."

Jaafari displayed for delegates what he said were documents containing the
"names of terrorists arrested while smuggling arms through the borders of
Syria".

He said the documents offered clear proof of a US-led plot to topple the
government of Assad.

Earlier on Tuesday, Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister, called on
Assad to leave power, accusing him of "cowardice" for turning guns on his
own people and warning he risked the same fate as dictators who met bloody
deaths.

Earlier this week, a bus carrying Turkish pilgrims came under fire in
Syria as they were travelling back from the Hajj, leaving two injured.



Bahrain inquiry confirms rights abuses

Commission says security forces used "excessive force" and tortured
detainees in a report accepted by government.

23 Nov 2011 Al Jazeera

Bahraini security forces used "excessive force" and tortured detainees
during its crackdown in March on Shia Muslim-led protests demanding
democratic change, an Independent Commission of Inquiry has declared.

The mass demonstrations which rocked the Sunni-ruled Gulf Arab kingdom
were violently crushed as government forces used live ammunition and
heavy-handed tactics to scatter protesters.

The report, released in Manama on Wednesday, said the commission did not
find proof of an Iran link to the unrest.

"Evidence presented to the commission did not prove a clear link between
the events in Bahrain and Iran," Cherif Bassiouni, the commission's lead
investigator, said.

Responding to the inquiry's findings on Wednesday, an official spokesman
said the Bahrain government accepted the criticisms.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, speaking after Bassiouni delivered his
report, pledged that officials involved in the abuses would be held
accountable and replaced.

"The government welcomes the findings of the Independent Commission, and
acknowledges its criticisms," an official Bahraini statement said. "We
took the initiative in asking for this thorough and detailed inquiry to
seek the truth and we accept it."

The report blamed the opposition for not having accepted the Bahraini
crown prince’s initiative in March which it says might have led to a
peaceful solution. It also mentioned instances of aggression against the
Sunnis of Bahrain as well as foreign workers.

Rights abuses

Bassiouni said the death toll from the month-long unrest reached 35,
including five security personnel. Hundreds more were injured. The
findings, which studied events in February and March, said that 11 other
people were killed later.

The commission concluded that a total of 2,929 people were detained during
the protest movement, at least 700 remain in prison.

International organisations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights
Watch and the UN human rights agency, have repeatedly accused the
government of violating citizens' rights, citing allegations of torture,
unfair trials, excessive use of force and violent repression.

Investigations conducted by the panel revealed that security forces "used
excessive force" while "many detainees were tortured", Bassiouni said.


Unrest rocked Bahrain between February 14 to March 18

In March, Bahraini security forces boosted by some 1,000 Gulf troops
crushed the uprising in Manama's Pearl Square, the epicentre of the
anti-government movement.

Bassiouni said the commission found no evidence that Gulf troops violated
human rights.

"The commission did not find any proof of human rights violations caused
by the presence of the Peninsula Shield forces," he said.

Iran and fellow Shias across the Arab world had criticised the Bahraini
government for calling in forces from fellow Sunni monarchies, claiming
that the Saudi-led force was used against Shia Bahrainis.

The report's findings were released hours after clashes in at least two
predominantly Shia villages on the outskirts of Manama.

In A'ali, about 30km south of the Manama, clashed took place after
officers allegedly ran a driver off the road.

Al Jazeera's Gregg Carlstrom, reporting from A’ali, said police had used
tear gas and sound bombs against the protesters.

"Protests initially began after police allegedly forced a man off the
road, causing him to crash into a house and die," he said. He said police
also raided a makeshift clinic and arrested a number of people.

Protests called

In his remarks, Hamad blamed much of the unrest on efforts by Iran to
incite violence, but said laws would be reviewed and if necessary revised.

"We do not want, ever again, to see our country paralysed by intimidation
and sabotage ... nor do we want, ever again, to discover that any of our
law enforcement personnel have mistreated anyone," he said.

"Therefore, we must reform our laws so that they are consistent with
international standards to which Bahrain is committed by treaties."

Hamad established the five-member commission in June to investigate
"whether the events of February and March 2011 [and thereafter] involved
violations of international human rights law and norms".

At least 35 people have been killed in this year's violence, with hundreds
more wounded and detained.

Journalists have recently been welcomed back into the country after months
of restrictions, and the government announced on Monday that all forms of
torture would be illegal, with more stringent penalties for those who
commit them.

Nabeel Rajab, president of Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, a leading
opposition group, praised the government’s move to ban torture, but argued
that the Bassiouni report would limit itself to a handful of low-level
targets.

Bahrain's government had already admitted using excessive force against
protesters before the release of the independent commission's report.


Two very different Bahrains, 10km apart

By Gregg Carlstrom 2011-11-23 Al Jazeera

I'm writing from A'Ali, a predominantly Shiite village in the centre of
Bahrain, which was the site of clashes all morning between anti-government
protesters and the police.

A few hours later, 10 kilometres down the road, the Bahraini government is
released the official report into this year's alleged human rights abuses.
The government hopes the report is a chance to turn the page and "move
forward," as a spokesman said earlier this week.

Ask anyone here in A'Ali, and they'll tell you those abuses are still
going on.

Witnesses here said a convoy of police vehicles sped through the village
this morning, forced a man's car off the road, and crashed into him,
killing him. I did not witness the accident, but I've seen Bahraini police
speed through other villages, tearing recklessly down narrow streets at
high speed. It's a common occurrence. (Just on Saturday, in fact, another
Bahraini, a 16-year-old boy, was run over by police vehicles in the suburb
of Juffair.)

The Bahraini government issued a statement calling it a simple traffic
accident, a car colliding with a house. But the damage did not match that
description: The car was crumpled on the sides, not the the front, as
you'd expect from a head-on collision.

Protesters came out in the streets afterwards, chanting yasqat Hamad
("down with Hamad," the king) and throwing paint bombs at police vehicles.
The police responded with tear gas and sound bombs.

My colleague Matthew Cassel shot this video of protesters reacting to
being tear gassed:

I went into one makeshift clinic a few minutes after it was raided. I saw
sound bombs on the floor inside, and the air still reeked of tear gas. The
women inside, who did not want to be photographed for fear of the
consequences, said they had been roughly searched by police, and that the
medics providing care were detained.

We also saw a Bahraini photojournalist, Mazen Mahdi, arrested by police
while trying to do his job. He was loaded into a jeep and driven away. (He
later tweeted that he'd been released, because the police couldn't figure
out what to charge him with.)

The government calls the official report an "unprecedented and historic
step" and hopes it will open the door to political reconciliation. But
unless it follows the report with significant concessions - ending the
regular police raids in the villages, declaring an amnesty for prisoners -
protesters here say they'll keep coming out.



Yemen's Saleh agrees to transfer power

Yemenis express mixed reactions in response to Saleh signing Gulf
initiative to begin transfer of power.

23 Nov 2011 Al Jazeera

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has signed a deal to hand over his
powers under an agreement brokered by the Gulf Co-operation Council.

The deal signed on Wednesday, will see Saleh leave office in 30 days,
making way for Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, the Yemeni vice-president, to
negotiate a power transfer with the opposition in return for a promise of
immunity from prosecution.

As part of the deal Saleh will retain the honorary title of president, yet
his deputy is expected to form and preside over a national unity
government before presidential elections take place within 90 days.

In response to the deal, there were mixed reactions some protesters
celebrated, while other rallied in Change Square in the capital, Sanaa,
and said they would reject a deal giving the president immunity.

Live footage of the ceremony aired by Saudi state television showed Saleh
sign the Gulf- and UN-brokered agreement in Riyadh's Al-Yamama royal
palace watched over by members of the Yemeni opposition as well as Saudi
King Abdullah and Gulf foreign ministers.

Saleh, who has ruled Yemen since 1978, spoke of the cost of the uprising
to Yemen, but did not mention the demands of protesters who called for his
ouster. Instead, he referred to the protests as a "coup'' and called a
bombing of his palace mosque that seriously wounded him "a scandal.'

After signing the deal, Saleh said his government welcomes the partnership
with what he called the "brothers in the opposition" and pledged a "real
partnership" with them.

The Saudi king hailed the signing as marking a "new page" in the Yemen's
history.

Saleh, 69, will now seek medical treatment in New York, UN chief Ban
Ki-moon said on Wednesday.

"He [Saleh] told me that he would come to New York after signing the
agreement to have medical treatment," Ban said, giving details of a
telephone conversation they had on Tuesday.

Saleh had rejected signing similar agreement to step down in the past few
months, sometimes resisting at the last minute.

Fresh protests

In response to the deal, Yemenis voiced both joy and frustration.
Celebrations erupted in Sanaa as Yemenis danced through the street, but
many others said the deal is not enough for them

Al Jazeera's special correspondent in Sanaa said that those gathered are
"protesting his [Saleh's] immunity from any legal repercussions".

"There is a tension in the air. Most people are here to celebrate, but
they see it only as a victory for now," our special correspondent said.

Saleh's family members continue to have powerful posts in the military and
intelligence service, and it is unclear how much political power Saleh
will have.

"For youth revolutionaries this deal is not accepted," Ibrahim Mohamed
al-Sayidi, a Yemeni youth opposition activist, told Al Jazeera.
For more on Yemen, visit our Spotlight page

The US welcomed the deal and Mark Toner, a state department spokesperson,
said: "The United States applauds the Yemeni government and the opposition
for agreeing to a peaceful and orderly transition of power."

In May, Saleh's supporters - many of which also reject the GCC deal - took
to the streets besieging the UAE embassy in Sanaa where foreign
ambassadors were gathered for a signing ceremony. The UAE is one of the
members of the GCC.

The signing was postponed and clashes broke out for the first time between
Ahmar's men and Saleh's forces in Al-Hasaba.

Deaths in Syria as crackdown continues

At least 20 killed by security forces, during Friday protests, according
to activists, including at least six in Homs.

Nov 5, 2011 Al Jazeera

At least 20 people have been reported killed in the latest clashes in
Syria as the government called on anyone with arms to turn themselves
within one week to qualify for an amnesty.

As massive anti-government demonstrations took place across the country
following Friday prayers, four civilians were reported to have been killed
after security forces opened fire on protesters in the district of Kanaker
in the capital, Damascus.

Two protesters were reported killed in Hama, and one in the city of
Hamouriya, not far from Damascus. Two others were reported killed trying
to cross the border and flee into Jordan, according to reports.

Six reported deaths in the Bab Amro area of Homs on Friday came a day
after 22 civilians were reportedly killed there in a military crackdown.

"Syrian security forces continue to shell and launch attacks on Bab Amro
district," said Al Jazeera's Nisreen El-Shamayleh, reporting from Jordan.

"At least 10 people were injured, but ambulances were prevented from
entering the area to reach the wounded. And we are hearing reports that
planes are still hovering over the district," El-Shamayleh said.

Specific information about the three other reported deaths was not
immediately available.

In the port city of Latakia, an activist said he counted 13 security
trucks surrounding the main Arsalan mosque. He said at least three
protesters were wounded by security forces firing in front of the Bazar
mosque in the centre of the city.

"They were hit and taken by the security forces. In front of every mosque
in Latakia there are several hundred security personnel carrying either
batons, handguns, or automatic rifles," the activist said.

Amnesty deal

Friday's violence came as Syria's government announced details of a
week-long amnesty period, starting from Saturday.

"The interior ministry calls on citizens who carried weapons, sold them,
delivered them, transported them or funded buying them, and did not commit
crimes, to hand themselves into the nearest police station," state
television said on Friday.

"The interior ministry assures that those who turn themselves in ... will
then be freed immediately and it will be considered as a general amnesty,"
the state media said.


The US State Department advised Syrians against turning themselves in.

"I wouldn't advise anybody to turn themselves in to regime authorities at
the moment," Victoria Nuland, a US spokesperson, told reporters.

The renewed violence appeared to contravene a mediation deal agreed
between Damascus and the Arab League on Wednesday which had called for
Syrian troops to end their presence in cities and residential areas.

The agreement, which also called for the release of all political
prisoners and monitoring of the situation inside Syria by league officials
and foreign media, was announced at an emergency meeting in Cairo, where
the regional body gathered to discuss plans to ease the violence and end
the unrest in Syria.

The peace deal "emphasised the need for the immediate, full and exact
implementation of the articles in the plan", but members of the Syrian
National Council (SNC), an umbrella opposition group, have voiced serious
scepticism over the government's willingness and sincerity to put the deal
into effect.

"There is no indication on the ground that the Syrian government has at
all started implementing the Arab League proposal to end the unrest," Al
Jazeera's El-Shamayleh said.



Syria peace plan unravels; 15 killed in protests

By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY - Associated Press | Nov. 4, 2011

BEIRUT — A Syrian peace plan brokered by the Arab League unraveled Friday
as security forces killed 15 people, opening fire on thousands of
protesters who denounced President Bashar Assad and said he never intended
to hold up his end of the deal to end the violence.

The bloodshed, only two days after Syria agreed to the deal, suggests
Damascus is unwilling — or unable — to put a swift end to a crackdown that
already has killed 3,000 people since the uprising began in March.

"This regime is not serious about ending its brutal crackdown," said
Mustafa Osso, a Syria-based human rights lawyer. "Today was a real test
for the intentions of the regime and the answer is clear to everyone who
wants to see."

The crisis in Syria has burned for nearly eight months despite widespread
condemnation and international sanctions aimed at chipping away at the
ailing economy and isolating Assad and his tight circle of relatives and
advisers. The protesters have grown increasingly frustrated with the
limits of their peaceful movement, and there are signs of a growing armed
rebellion in some areas.

Some protesters even are calling for the kind of foreign military action
that helped topple Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

But NATO has ruled out any plans for Syria, a country of 22 million with a
combustible mix of sectarian and religious identities, and Assad still has
a firm grip on power. The iron loyalty of his security apparatus sets the
stage for an increasingly destructive fight over the future of a nation
ruled for more than four decades by the Assad dynasty.

Tremors from the unrest in Syria could shake the region. Damascus' web of
allegiances extends to Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement and Iran's
Shiite theocracy. And although Syria sees Israel as the enemy, the
countries have held up a fragile truce for years.

Thousands of protesters braved cold and rainy weather Friday after
opposition groups called for a large turnout to test whether the regime
would in fact refrain from using deadly force, as agreed under the Arab
League plan. But gunfire erupted shortly after the protests began,
following the same pattern seen during previous Friday protests for
months.

"Arab League, beware of Bashar Assad!" read one banner carried by
protesters in the central city of Homs, which has turned into one of the
country's most deadly areas due to the military crackdown and what appears
to be growing sectarian bloodshed.

Two main activist groups, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights and the Local Coordinating Committees, said at least 15 people were
killed Friday, most of them in Homs and suburbs of the Syrian capital.

The violence was a blow to the 22-nation Arab League, which announced
Wednesday that Damascus had agreed to a broad peace plan that also called
for the Syrian government to pull tanks and armored vehicles out of
cities, release political prisoners and allow journalists and rights
groups into the country.

Officials from the Cairo-based Arab League could not be reached for
comment Friday, the start of a holiday weekend.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the
Assad regime has yet to live up to a single commitment it has made to the
Arab League. She said the government's "long, deep history of broken
promises" appears to be continuing.

The Arab League plan presented flaws at the outset, in part because it did
not provide for any repercussions if the regime reneges on its
commitments. There also was no mention of any on-the-ground monitoring to
supervise the regime's actions.

The government has largely sealed off the country from foreign journalists
and prevented independent reporting, making it difficult to confirm events
on the ground. Key sources of information are amateur videos posted
online, witness accounts and details gathered by activist groups.

The structure of Syria's security forces also could prevent any immediate
end to the violence.

Assad, and his father before him, stacked key military posts with members
of their minority Alawite sect, ensuring the loyalty of the armed forces
by melding their fate with that of the regime.

If the regime falls, the argument goes, the country's Sunni majority gains
the upper hand and the Alawites lose their privileged status. Although
there have been army defections, they appear to be mostly Sunni
conscripts, not high-level commanders. Adding to the violence are the
shabiha, the mafia-style network of young Alawite men who act as enforcers
for the regime.

The Syrian deadlock, in many ways, is rooted in the country's sectarian
divide.

The Alawites rose from economic obscurity after the 1970 coup led by
Bashar Assad's father, Hafez, gaining power and financial muscle in
exchange for loyalty to the Assads. It is their support that the younger
Assad sees as the key to continued power.

Alawites claim they would be oppressed as Muslim heretics if the Sunnis
come to power, and Sunnis claim they are unable to get the government jobs
essential to reach the lower rungs of the middle class.

The now-privileged Alawites, along with other minority groups who feel
protected under the Assad regime, would see majority rule as a risk at
best, a nightmare at worst.

Syria blames the bloodshed on "armed gangs" and extremists acting out a
foreign agenda to destabilize the regime. Assad has played on some of the
countries worst fears to rally support behind him, painting himself as the
lone force who can ward off the kind of radicalism and sectarianism that
have bedeviled neighbors in Iraq and Lebanon.

On Friday, Syria's Interior Ministry gave one week for anyone who was
involved in carrying, selling, buying or distributing arms to turn
themselves in and benefit from a pardon.

Analysts say Assad's support is waning, and his backers are often
motivated by little more than fear.

In a report this week, the International Crisis Group said the support "is
almost entirely of a negative sort: fear of sectarian retribution,
Islamism, foreign interference, social upheaval or, more simply, anxiety
about the unknown."

___

Associated Press writer Bradley Klapper contributed to this report from
Washington.



Bahrain security forces clash with protesters

Tear gas and armoured vehicles used to disperse protesters after funeral
of father of opposition leader.

Nov 2011 al Jazeera

Security forces in Bahrain have used tear gas and armoured vehicles to
drive back hundreds of protesters advancing toward a heavily guarded
square that was once the centre of pro-reform demonstrations in the Gulf
nation.

Witnesses said hundreds of demonstrators marched to Pearl Square in
Bahrain's capital Manama after a funeral procession on Friday morning for
the 78-year-old father of an opposition leader.

According to the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Ali Hasan al-Dehi was
beaten to death by riot police on Wednesday while returning to his home in
the village of Dehi. Opposition groups claim he died as a result of his
alleged treatment by police.

The United States, whose Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain, called on all
sides to exercise restraint. It urged the government to be fully
transparent in the investigation of what happened to al-Dehi.

"We, the US, would encourage full transparency as this case proceeds and
we obviously call on everybody to exercise restraint," Victoria Nuland, a
US state department spokeswoman, said in Washington.

"It is a fragile time in Bahrain as all sides wait for the Bahraini
independent commission of inquiry report."

The head of the commission, which was set up to investigate allegations of
human rights violations in Bahrain during months of unrest, on Monday was
quoted as saying that he had found evidence of systematic torture.

But the Bahraini ministry of health denied the accusation, saying that
al-Dehi had died from a heart attack after he fell unconscious at his
home.

Al-Dehi was the father of Hussein al-Dehi, who is the deputy-head of the
main Shia opposition group. Authorities said he died of natural causes.

After his funeral, hundreds of mainly Shia Bahrainis tried to make their
way toward the former Pearl Roundabout - the site where anti-government
protests first began.

With assistance from troops from other gulf countries, the government
ended the protests with a violent crackdown that reportedly killed dozens.

Video and images uploaded on social media websites on Friday appeared to
show police cars driving at protesters in several locations.

Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, said the
government had blocked roads to try to prevent people from attending the
funeral ceremony.

Bahrain is hoping to conclude an arms deal with the United States but the
purchase could hinge on the results of the commission investigating this
year's unrest and claims by Shias of abuse they suffered during martial
law.

Bahrain panel: 101 activists on hunger strike

Sept. 7, 2011 Associated Press

MANAMA, Bahrain — More than 100 jailed Bahraini activists — including
doctors who treated injured protesters during months of anti-government
protests and crackdowns in the Gulf kingdom — are on hunger strike, an
international panel said Wednesday.

The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry said in a statement that 84 opposition
supporters are on hunger strike in prison. In addition, 17 detained
activists have been hospitalized by the Interior Ministry for their
refusal to eat.

Hundreds of activists have been imprisoned since February when Shiite-led
demonstrations for greater rights began in the Sunni-ruled Bahrain, the
home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. More than 30 people have been killed
since protests inspired by Arab uprisings began in February.

Large clashes broke out between riot police and youth protesters after a
celebration over the release of one of the doctors from prison in northern
city of Dih.

An unknown number of protesters were wounded when security forces fired
shotguns, according to witnesses. Clashes between youth and police are a
near nightly occurence in Bahrain, but Wednesday evening's clashes in Dih
were the largest in weeks, witnesses said.

The five-member panel has been set up in June to investigate the unrest.
Wednesday's statement said an international expert on hunger strikes will
join the panel to visit the striking detainees and evaluate their
condition.

"Medical advice will be provided and the expert will discuss the
challenges of hunger strike," the statement said, adding that the hunger
strike started nine days ago.

Among the jailed activists on hunger strike are doctors who are on trial
in a special security court on charges of participating in efforts to
overthrow Bahrain's 200-year-old monarchy.

The doctors' trial is being closely watched by rights groups, which have
criticized Bahrain's use of the security court, which includes military
prosecutors and civilians and military judges.

The case against 11 health professionals was back in the special tribunal
on Wednesday. After the hearing, the eleven defendants were released from
custody, although they remain charged with anti-state crimes, a lawyer for
one of the doctors said. It was not immediately clear if the released
doctors continue to strike.

The lawyer, Hassan Radhi, told The Associated Press the trial adjourned
until Sept. 26.

Other jailed opposition supporters have joined the strike, including two
prominent Shiite activists, Abdul Jalil al-Singace and Abdulhadi
al-Khawaja. They were sentenced to life in prison in June for their role
in protests.

The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry includes international judicial and
human rights experts. They started the probe with the consent of the Sunni
rulers.

The commission's findings are expected Oct. 30.

Shiites comprise about 70 percent of Bahrain's 525,000 people, but are
blocked from top political and security posts.

Bahraini boy killed in protest

August 31, 2011 Al Jazeera



Opposition group blames police after 14-year-old boy dies on being hit by

tear gas canister in oil hub.



A 14-year-old Bahraini boy has died after being hit by a tear gas canister

during clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces, the

Gulf kingdom's main Shia opposition group al-Wefaq has said.



Activists blamed the police for the death of Ali Jawad Ahmad, who was

among the protesters in the oil hub area of Sitra on Wednesday.



A police official told the state news agency BNA that the incident was

being investigated, without saying how the boy was injured.



Bahrain has been in turmoil for the past few months since protests by the

dominant Shia community broke out, demanding great freedom and political

rights.



More than 30 people have been killed since the protests began in February

inspired by other uprisings across the Arab world.

Click here for more of Al Jazeera's coverage on Bahrain



More than 70 per cent of Bahrain's population is Shia but claim widespread

discrimination by the ruling al-Khalifa Sunni dynasty.



Small scale clashes between police and mostly Shia demonstrators have

become a near nightly event in the tense Gulf nation since authorities

lifted emergency rule in June.



King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has offered compensation to victims of the

crackdowns in February, but says protest-related trials will continue.



In July Bahrain's leaders opened reconciliation talks, but the country's

main Shia party walked out and threatened to stage further protests.



An independent fact-finding panel is investigating alleged rights abuses

in Bahrain and is expected to release its findings at the end of October.







Bahrain activists blame police in boy's death



August 31, 2011 Associated Press



MANAMA, Bahrain — Bahraini security forces clashed with anti-government

protesters after Wednesday morning prayers, and a 14-year-old boy died

after being hit by a police tear gas canister, human rights activists

said.



The activists blamed police for the death of Ali Jawad Ahmad, who was in

the crowd of protesters in the oil hub of Sitra.



The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights cited witnesses as saying the

boy died after being hit by a tear gas canister fired at close range by

police during the demonstration.



Bahraini officials confirmed a 14-year-old was killed but gave no other

details on the possible cause of death.



A statement by the Interior Ministry said there was no reported police

action in Sitra at the time the boy's death was reported. The statement

added that an investigation was ordered and posted a 10,000 dinar

($26,600) reward for information leading to a definitive finding.



Isa Hassan, an uncle of the dead teen, claimed police overreacted when

confronted by a small group of protesters after morning prayers marking

the end of the holy month of Ramadan.



Hassan said the tear gas was fired from about 20 feet (seven meters) away

directly at the protesters.



"They are supposed to lob the canisters of gas, not shoot them at people,"

he said at the funeral for the boy. "Police used it as a weapon."



In a report late Wednesday, Bahrain's official news agency said the

autopsy showed a "neck injury was the cause of (the boy's) death, as there

were fractures in that area causing bleeding around the spinal cord." The

report by the Bahrain News Agency also said that the young protester had

bruises on his chin, face, right hand, pelvic area and knees.



Bahrain has been gripped by clashes between police and Shiite-led

protesters demanding greater rights and political freedoms in the tiny

Gulf nation that is the home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.



More than 30 people have been killed since protests began in February

inspired by other uprisings across the Arab world.



Shiites are the majority in Bahrain but claim widespread discrimination by

the ruling Sunni dynasty. Sunni rulers in the Gulf fear any concessions by

Bahrain's Al Khalifa family to protesters would strengthen the region's

Shiite powerhouse Iran.



Small-scale clashes between police and mostly Shiite demonstrators have

become a near nightly event in the tense Gulf nation since authorities

lifted emergency rule in June.

Life sentences for Bahrain dissidents

Protesters take to the streets, clashing with police after eight Shia
activists are given life sentences.

June 22, 2011 Al Jazeera

Bahrain's government says it has only tried a small number of those
involved in recent mass protests [Reuters]

Police and protesters have clashed in Bahrain after eight Shia Muslim
activists accused of plotting a coup to overthrow the Gulf Arab state's
Sunni monarchy were sentenced to life in prison.

The court also sentenced on Wednesday other defendants - from among the 21
suspects on trial - to between two and 15 years in jail.

Saeed al-Shehabi, the only defendant to be sentenced in absentia, told Al
Jazeera that the charges were false and called the government's response
"draconian".

"The world has seen how peaceful the demonstrations were, for a month-long
period ... yet, they were condemned as being terrorists," he said.

A member of Bahrain's largest Shia group said the sentencing of the
activists as contradicting the government's calls for dialogue.

"Is this the atmosphere for dialogue?" asked Khalil Marzooq, a former MP
and member of the Islamic National Accord Association (Wefaq), in excerpts
of a speech he gave in Manama posted on his Facebook page.

Many unhappy

The Bahrain News Agency said the life sentences were issued against a
prominent Shia political leader, Hassan Mushaima; activists Abdulhady
al-Khawaja, Abduljalil al-Singace; and five others.

Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, the
country's most prominent Shia opposition group, told Al Jazeera that many
people were unhappy about the sentences.

"Abdulhady al-Khawaja is one of the most respected human-rights activist
in the whole Arab region, so people are very angry," Rajab said.

"Hundreds of people have been brought up for charges in the past few days,
and hundreds more are waiting to be tried."


Maryam al-Khawaja, another member of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights,
said that Abdulhady al-Khawaja's daughter, Zainab, was present in court
when he was sentenced and stood up and chanted "Allahu Akbar" [God is
Greater].

She was violently removed from court and arrested. She was later released
after being charged with contempt of court and made to sign a pledge.

Al-Singace, who was released in February after six months in jail, was
also sentenced to life.

Nine of the defendants had been in custody on similar charges in the past
before being set free under a royal pardon in February aimed at calming
protests in Bahrain.

Following the pardon, Mushaima returned to the kingdom from self-imposed
exile in the UK.

Ibrahim Sharif, the Sunni leader of the secular leftist group Waad, was
sentenced to five years. Waad had joined Wefaq in calling for political
reforms.

Said Abdulnabi Shihab was also sentenced to life in absentia. Six other
defendants who are abroad and being tried in absentia were sentenced to 15
years in prison.

Authorities claimed the activists had sought to overthrow Bahrain's Sunni
monarchy and had links to "a terrorist organisation abroad".

Sand-and-debris roadblocks

Several villages had demonstrated on Tuesday night in solidarity with the
opposition leaders facing charges.

Residents and activists said small protests broke out in some areas to
chants of "Down, down [King] Hamad", as police cars rushed to block the
roads to the villages.

The government contests the opposition's estimate that some 400 people are
on trial, saying the number is far smaller.

Some activists sent telephone text messages calling on followers to
protest again on Wednesday to demand the release of the defendants and
rejection of the government's dialogue offer.

Four people have been sentenced to death and three others to life in
prison over the killing of two policemen. Nine others were jailed for 20
years after being convicted of abducting a policeman.

Authorities have said 24 people were killed during the month-long unrest,
most of them demonstrators.

Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, invited Saudi and other Gulf troops
in mid-March to help crush  pro-democracy protests.




Bahrain protests flare after activists sentenced

By BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Brian Murphy June 22, 2011

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Bahraini protesters poured back to the
streets Wednesday after a security court sentenced eight Shiite activists
to life in prison in the latest blow by the Western-backed kingdom to
cripple the biggest Arab Spring opposition movement in the Gulf.

The fast and angry reaction to the verdicts — the most significant display
of unrest in weeks — underscored the volatility in the island nation after
four months of unrest and raised questions about whether any credible
pro-reform leaders will heed calls by the Sunni monarchy to open talks
next week.

In size, Bahrain is little more than a speck off the coast of Saudi
Arabia. But it draws in some of the region's major players: hosting the
U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and serving as a growing point of friction between
Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Security forces used tear gas to drive back hundreds of Shiite marchers
trying to reach a central square in the capital Manama, which was once the
hub of their protests for greater rights. In other Shiite areas,
protesters gathered in the streets but were held back by riot police. No
injuries were reported.

Bahrain has allowed two major rallies this month by the main opposition
party, but the confrontations Wednesday were among the biggest challenges
to security forces since martial law-style rule was lifted June 1.

Shiites account for 70 percent of Bahrain's population of some 525,000,
but claim they face systematic discrimination such as being barred from
top government and political posts.

The protests — claiming at least 31 lives since February — have put U.S.
officials in the difficult position of both denouncing the violence and
standing by Bahrain's rulers and their call for dialogue. In response,
opposition groups have increased demands that include an end to the
political trials and withdrawal of a Saudi-led regional force helping prop
up Bahrain's ruling family.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the U.S. was
"concerned about the severity" of the sentences and the use of the
military-linked security courts. He noted that President Barack Obama said
in May that "such steps are at odds with the universal rights of Bahrain's
citizens."

"We continue to urge the Bahraini government to abide by its commitment to
transparent judicial proceedings, conducted in full accordance with
Bahrain's international legal obligations, and to create the conditions
for a meaningful, inclusive and credible dialogue," he said.

Bahrain's government said in statement late Wednesday that the convicted
activists were responsible for "bringing the country to the brink of total
anarchy" with a wave of marches and sit-ins earlier this year.

"Today's sentencing sends a message that law and order will be preserved,"
the statement said, pledging to guard against "attempts to overthrow the
regime."

The official Bahrain News Agency said those sentenced to life include
prominent Shiite political figures Hassan Mushaima and Abdul Jalil
al-Singace and rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. Mushaima returned
from self-exile in London earlier this year after Bahrain's leaders
promised to erase old charges of opposing the state.

Pro-reform activist Ibrahim Sharif — the only Sunni among the suspects —
received five years in prison, while other sentences ranged from two to 15
years. The sentences can be appealed.

A leading opposition figure cast doubt on whether talks can get under way.

"We should conduct the dialogue in an open atmosphere, not when people are
being arrested," said Khalil al-Marzooq, who was among the 18 Shiite
parliament members who staged a mass resignation to protest the crackdowns
earlier this year.

The charges at the latest security court trial show the depths of the
tensions. The activists were convicted of trying to overthrow Bahrain's
200-year-old monarchy and having links to "a terrorist organization
abroad" — an obvious reference to claims that Iranian-backed Hezbollah is
behind the unrest.

Eight received life sentences while 13 others received shorter prison
terms apparently because they weren't considered leaders.

Bahrain's rulers fear that any Shiite gains in the country could open new
footholds for influence by Shiite power Iran.

Shiite leaders in Bahrain repeatedly have denied any ties to Iran and
accuse leaders of using the fears of Iranian string-pulling to wage
crackdowns that have included hundreds of arrests and purges from jobs and
universities.

Fourteen of the 21 convicted are in custody while the rest were sentenced
in absentia by the security court, which uses military prosecutors and a
military-civilian tribunal. Among the life sentences, however, all but one
of the suspects was in Bahrain.

Sharif's wife, Farida Ghulam, said her husband cried out "Our people
demand freedom" after the sentences were read.

Ghulam said al-Khawaja then shouted: "We will continue our struggle." His
daughter, Zainab, was dragged from court by female guards after she yelled
"Allahu akbar," or "God is great," said Ghulam.

The verdicts could also bring some direct diplomatic fallout. At least two
of those sentenced to life also hold European passports: al-Khawaja, who
is a Danish citizen, and Mohammed Habib al-Muqdad, who has Swedish
citizenship.

The court has presided over a series of cases linked to the protests,
including issuing two death sentences against men accused of killing
police officers during the demonstrations. Earlier this month, it
sentenced a 20-year-old woman to a year in prison for reading poetry
critical of Bahrain's king.

Next week, a trial is scheduled to resume for more than 30 doctors and
nurses accused of supporting the protests. Some of the medical personnel
claim they were abused while in custody.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Barbara Surk in
Dubai contributed to this report.