Press TV interviews Saeed al-Shahabi, a Bahraini opposition leader in London, as he shares his views on the Bahraini Prime Minister's trip to the United States, and the current situation taking place in the Middle Eastern country.
Press TV: What is the reason for Bahraini Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa visit to the US?
Al-Shahabi: Well, as you know the United States is the main supporter of the regime. To the extent that the acting ambassador in Bahrain, today, was so rude to the Bahrain people and so emetic that she said that some of the opposition would be left out as if the opposition is waiting for her offer.
She and also the prime minister, and all the other officials, must understand that the people of Bahrain will not seize the revolution under any circumstances, because this regime is outdated and antiquated, it's backwards, and it has got to go, especially as we hear about more people being sentenced and being tried in the military court despite the claim that the martial law has been lifted.
Press TV: Bahrain is allowing opposition to have their voices heard, but then they are facing trial for trying to topple the government, especially now with two MPs, can you give us a little bit more detail on that?
Al-Shahabi: Well, we know that the regime has arrested many people, most of opposition leaders in the past three months including two members of the Shura Council. They were elected in the last elections but because they voiced anger towards what the regime has done to the people, they are in jail now and they are facing military trial under the Saudi occupation.
These people have done nothing; they are in the same position as Mr. [Sheikh] Abdullah [bin] Hussein [al-Ahmar], Mr. Hassan Mushaima, and others. These two people are Jawad Firouz and Matar Matar, they were former MPs who had withdrawn their membership of the Shura Council that they realized that it was a useless body and a powerless one.
So, these people are facing this military trial, but I am sure that they, as well as the others, are determined to stand up to the challenges of the Saudi occupation and they will not be intimidated by this course.
Of course as we also know, you mentioned that they are allowing the peoples voice to be heard, I don't think that's true. I don't think that the regime is ready to allow any degree of freedom and to the extent that we saw, yesterday and today, people who had marched peacefully were mercilessly attacked by the thugs of the regime and also by the death squads. The people are determined to persue their goals and this regime has to go.
Press TV: You're saying that the Bahraini government is not allowing the voices of the people to be heard?
Al-Shahabi: You can't speak. If you speak out, you will be jailed. Why are these people being tried? What for, what have they done apart from speaking out? Why are more than a thousand people being languished in jail now, for what? What crime did they commit other than speaking out saying that we want change, we want improvement, and reform? Of course, most people do not want the regime, but even those people, who have less dramatic aims, they are only asking for some reforms, like Jawad Firouz and Matar Matar, the two MPs and they are tried in military courts only for speaking out.
So, this regime cannot and will never allow people to have freedom. The essence of the regime is anti freedom, and anti liberty and anti human rights.
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