10/ 11th August 2012

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

US lawmakers call on Bahrain king to free activist
Nineteen members of the U.S. Congress have written to Bahrain's king to call for the release of prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, who is currently serving a three-month jail sentence for making antigovernment statements on Twitter. Rajab, the president of the Bahrain Center For Human Rights, is due in court Sunday in a separate case that relates to him allegedly calling for and participating in an illegal gathering. The letter sent Friday to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa acknowledges the country has introduced reforms since last year's anti-government protests. But it also said Rajab's prosecution runs "counter to the government's assurances that individuals will not be prosecuted for peaceful political speech." Read More Being the president of the Republic means being rm with heads and representatives of political societies in a positive atmosphere, to reach and promote understanding between all entities in the political arena, it said. Shaikh Khalid highlighted continued endeavours to support the role of political societies in furthering the process of democratic evolution and sustained development. Read More bombardment of the city's Qarabees district, according to news reports. The central city had been under attack for more than three weeks as Syrian forces stepped up their assault on opposition strongholds. Al-Tarsha was the youngest of all of the journalists killed on duty this year, and he is one of at least seven journalist killed in 2012 that fall within the United Nations' denition of youth(age 15 through 24).

Hollandes ethical diplomacy called into question

On January 22, 2012 French President Franois Hollande at the time just a presidential candidate stood in front of thousands of cheering supporters at a rally at the Le Bourget conference centre near Paris and blasted Nicolas Sarkozys track record on foreign policy.

[it means] not inviting dictators to Paris, Hollande lectured. Names were carefully omitted from the Socialist leaders speech, but there was no doubt he was referring to Sarkozys now infamous reception for the late Libyan leader Muammar Gadda at the Elyse Presidential Palace in December 2007. In addition, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime is ghting a bloody civil war against rebels, visited Sarkozy in Paris in July 2008 and again in November 2009. Read More Just one year later, Ali had become an unemployed exdetainee in hiding. These days, hes part of a very different generation marking Bahrains future: young men and women who cant forget what they have witnessed since Arab Springinspired protests broke out in this small island nation in February 2011. That boy he was in jail with me, Ali said, pointing to a peer across the room of one of the countrys opposition groups on a hazy Friday evening in April. That onehis brother was killed. Read More

Bahrain dialogue aims to end unrest

Signicant steps towards serious dialogue and an end to street violence in Bahrain were taken yesterday, says a report in the Gulf Daily News, our sister newspaper. Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa continued meetings

Anger Mismanagement: Bahrains Crisis Escalates

Fourteen months ago, Ali was one of Bahrains young, educated up-and-comers. The twenty-seven-year-old, with matted black hair and eyes that look too big for his skinny frame, worked as a chemist at the state oil company. Fluent in English and tech-savvy, he was happily married and his wife was pregnant. He was starting a promising life.

Syria, Somalia, Bahrain--where fathers bury their sons

The 17-year-old videographer Anas al-Tarsha regularly lmed clashes and military movements in the city of Homs in Syria, and posted the footage on YouTube. On February 24, he waskilled by a mortar round while lming the

Bahrain Braces for Major Court Verdicts

Human Rights First today called on the Bahraini government to use the upcoming cases of several high-prole human rights activists to demonstrate its commitment to reform. Its crunch time for the Bahrain regime, notes Human Rights Firsts Brian Dooley. These verdicts will reveal the regimes real

intentions towards reforms and reconciliation. All of the upcoming trial verdicts involve cases of dissidents convicted in politically-motivated trials after peacefully expressing their views. All should be immediately and unconditionally released. On Sunday, Aug. 12, Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), is due to hear the verdict in his appeal of a three-month prison sentence for criticizing the countrys Prime Minister in a tweet. Read More

Will Bahrains King stop imprisoning peaceful critics?

Just this afternoon, 19 Members of Congress sent a letter urging Bahrains King Shaikh Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa to release Nabeel Rajab, a man imprisoned for a tweet. Nabeel is one of the Bahrain 14 14 political activists sentenced to everything from three months to life in prison

simply for engaging in nonviolent speech, expression, or association. Seven of the 14 have been given unbelievable life sentences in prison for their activism. The letter was organized by the Ofce of Congressman Keith Ellisonand includes the signatures of prominent US Senators Patrick Leahy and Ron Wyden. It is also backed by Rep. James McGovern, Co-Chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. Read More

release Nabeel Rajab and other detainees BAHRAIN: Ongoing arbitrary arrests and judicial harassment of human rights defenders
As new cases of arbitrary arrests and ongoing judicial harassment have been reported in Bahrain, the Observatory remains extremely concerned with the very repressive climate faced by human rights defenders in the country. Read More "We write to express our concern regarding Nabeel Rajab and other Bahrainis who have been prosecuted for crimes related to freedom of expression. Read More

Bahrain regime forces, protesters clash in several towns

Saudi-backed Bahraini forces have clashed with anti-regime protesters in several towns across the Persian Gulf country. Read More

19 US Members of Congress urge the King of Bahrain to