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| HRW Calls on Bahrain to Release Democracy Activists |
| 2012-02-29 |
| [An Nahar] Human Rights Watch ... dedicated to bitching about human rights violations around the world... ... except in those parts of the world in which HRW observers would be tortured themselves... on Tuesday called for the release of hundreds of Bahraini freedom fighters locked away after last year's uprising and for all charges against them to be dropped. "Grossly unfair military and civilian trials have been a core element in Bahrain's crackdown on pro-democracy protests," HRW said. Cases "against everyone convicted on politically motivated charges" should be dropped. The New York-based group also called for the release of at least four Shiite protest leaders who remain in prison for expressing anti-government sentiments and demanding political reform. According to HRW, hundreds of Bahraini activists have been tried in special military courts set up after King Hamad ...King of Bahrain (since 14 February 2002), having previously been its emir (from 6 March 1999). He is a Sunni, while the rest of Bahrain is predominantly Shiite... declared a quasi-state of emergency last March as his security forces crushed a month-long uprising in Manama. The rights group said that by October, all the special military court cases had been transferred to civilian courts. But "egregious violations of fair trial rights in political cases" continued in Bahrain's criminal justice system "with serious systemic problems," despite government pledges to reform, HRW said. "Serious abuses included denying defendants the right to counsel and to present a defense, and failure to investigate credible allegations of torture and ill-treatment," it said, citing a 94-page report on judicial violations. The report is based on 50 interviews with defendants, lawyers, and observers as well as examination of court documents. Earlier this month, ...not to be confused with individual rights,mind you... reforms demanded by an independent commission which investigated the crackdown. They said the government was still "far from delivering the human rights changes" recommended by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI). The BICI report was commissioned by the king last June after the violence left 35 people dead and triggered international pressure on the ruling Sunni dynasty. Near daily protests have continued in Shiite neighborhoods of the kingdom, with the main opposition formation, al-Wefaq, charging that "violations" by the authorities have been on the rise. |
| Posted by:Fred |