Rights groups vow to raise the issue at Geneva Council
Sandeep Singh Grewal
Staff Reporter

Fifty- five local and International non-governmental organisations (NGOs) dealing with human rights have joined hands in demand for the release of 15 Bahraini detainees arrested during the disturbances in December last year.
Six groups from Bahrain have sent an urgent appeal to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa yesterday.
These are- Bahrain Human Rights Society, now defunct Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), the Haq Movement of Liberties and Democracy, Society of Supporting Freedom and Democracy and the Women’s Petition Committee.
“ We were planning to have at least hundred International organisations to be signatories for this campaign, but we had to launch it immediately,” said activist Nabeel Rajab.
Rajab claimed that he was not allowed to enter the court hearing held on Sunday. “ The officers told me there was a special order issued by the authorities banning me from attending the proceedings,” he said.
The Higher Court on Sunday adjourned the case to March. The deatinees are charged with torching a police jeep and stealing weapons. The authorities had arrested the men following the riots in December last year after Jassim Al Makki from Jidhaf allegedly died of tear gas inhalation. Rajab said they would continue with their campaign and raise the issue of the 15 detainees at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on April. “ The detainee issue would be on top of our agenda when Bahrain human rights record would be reviewed in the Council. We would also speak about the issue during our campaigning in Europe,” the activist said. Meanwhile, Bahraini observers assigned by International organisations to monitor the court trials sent a detailed report yesterday on the court proceedings.

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FIFTEEN Bahrainis, accused of hurling Molotov cocktails at a police car and stealing weapons, will have charges levelled against them read in court today, in the presence of three international human rights observers.

Their lawyers had boycotted a hearing at the High Criminal Court on February 4, when the charges were supposed to be read.

It was in protest of the hearing being moved from a normal morning session to 3pm, outside the official hours of the court.

The men were due to stand trial at 10am, but security staff locked the Justice Ministry gates after an angry crowd gathered outside, protesting against the arrests during the Eid and National Day holidays last December.

The court adjourned the case until 2pm today and lawyers said yesterday that they would be attending.

“We (defence team) had a meeting with Higher Judicial Council deputy-head Shaikh Khalifa bin Rashid Al Khalifa and it was agreed that the hearing will be held during official hours,” the team’s spokesman Hafedh Ali told the GDN.

“The hearing will be mainly for reading the charges levelled against each defendant in presence of their lawyers.

“Lawyers must be present when charges are being read in a criminal case and each defendant will respond by either pleading guilty or not.

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Hundreds take to streets, authorities deny ill treatment to prisoners
Sandeep Singh Grewal
Staff Reporter

Over 2,000 people took to the streets yesterday in Manama urging the authorities to release the detainees arrested during the recent disturbances.
Human rights activists and family members of the detainees marched from Ras Ruman to Bab Al Bahrain chanting slogans.
“ We want these men to be released by the authorities. Family members and lawyers are facing problems to meet their loved ones.
The authorities say the prisoners were not ill treated, then why did they stop the Bahrain Human Rights Society team to meet the detainees,” said Hassan Mushaima from the Haq Movement of Liberties and Democracy.
Riot police were stationed in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs premises and the open ground opposite the Ras Ruman mosque as a precautionary measure. Traffic was halted and diverted on Isa Al Kaber Avenue and vehicle access was prohibited on all roads leading towards Manama.
Activists waved placards and posters of the detainees while others distributed flyers during the march, which lasted for more than an hour. A sexagenarian was seen holding wooden board displaying tear gas shells and rubber bullets.
An official from the General Prosecution had said the authorities detained 22 men in connection with the incidents. Those detained are being charged for arson attacks and stealing a weapon during the disturbances in December last year.
Al Wefaq Deputy, Jawad Fairooz told the Bahrain Tribune, “ The detainees should be guaranteed a fair trial. The authorities should allow them to meet their families,” he said
Braving the cold weather, demonstrators wore mufflers and earmuffs as they marched and waved yellow flags with women protesters following them. The peaceful protest was organised by several political societies and human rights group. The Vice Chairman of the now defunct Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Nabeel Rajab was supervising the protest, which ended at the starting point in Ras Ruman at 5 pm.
There had been a series of protest by families of the detainees outside the Public Prosecution against the alleged torture inflicted on their kin by the authorities.

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Observers fail to attend trial hearings of accused

Sandeep Singh Grewal
Staff Reporter

Observers assigned in Bahrain by International human rights group were not allowed yesterday to attend the hearing of 15 people arrested in connection with the disturbances last month.
Mohammed Al Maskati, who was assigned by Defender International (DI), an International human rights body to monitor the court hearing, alleged that the authorities changed the timing of the hearing from 10 am to 3 pm.
“The authorities changed the timing from morning to afternoon, which is after government working hours. This is a violation of human rights as they knew that I had the permission to attend the court hearing with a journalist only in the morning,” said Maskati, who is also the President of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights.
The activist alleged the authorities changed the timing of the trial on purpose so that he could not prepare a report on the proceedings and circulate to International Human Rights Organisation.
However, Maskati said he has prepared a detailed report on the incident which has been sent to the DI headquarters in Norway.
The trial was postponed to February 24. Those detained are being charged for arson attacks and stealing a weapon.
Family members of the detainees started to gather since morning in front of the court building at the Diplomatic Area.
Maskati said family members were not aware of the time change of the hearing and ended up protesting until the afternoon.
“The family members were not initially allowed to enter the building as the security had closed the gates. In the afternoon, some family members were allowed to attend the court hearing,” Maskati said.

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MORE INFO

A group of youth has been arrested and there are claims of physical attacks or ill-treatment.

Defend International (DI)

in collaboration with

Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR)

Number and Region: Five young men from Karzakan province.

Names: Hassan Ahmed Hassan, Sayed Shbeir Makki, Hassan Mansour Ali, Jafar Abdalnabi Abbas and Hassan Makki Abbas.

Sex: Male

Authorities: Bahraini

Category: Detention / torture or ill-treatment / Judicial proceedings

The case:

Defend International and Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights are deeply concerned by reports that a group of young people has been arrested because of a security incident in the Karzakan province. Reports indicate that the security authorities surrounded the area, from which the demonstration would have take place on Friday, October 19, 2007.

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