(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - In an exclusive interview with us, Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, gives us an update of the Bahraini crisis. The following is a transcript of the interview.
Q: Mr. Rajab, we are witnessing some of the worst crackdowns in Bahrain with casualties seeming to take place on a daily basis. What exactly is going on? How much longer can this regime survive under the present circumstances?
Rajab: I think the government thought in the beginning that the crackdown and inviting the Saudi troops and the Emirati troops are going to end the uprising that is calling for democracy and human right.
Now it is very clear to the regime and to the whole world that people are still committed to their demand when they came out on February 14. And I think we are going to witness and see more people protesting in the coming days, especially the 23rd of the month as Bahrainis call that the 'Day of Return' where they are trying to go back to the Pearl [Square]. We expect tens of thousands of people from each and every village of Bahrain who are going to take part in this protest.
I am afraid that the government' will continue the bloody reaction towards peaceful protesters by using their mercenaries to kill people. But I think whatever it's going to cost, the people are very much committed to go back to the Pearl [Square], and we expect to see more of it in the coming days.
Q: What can happen as far as the people are trying to get their voices heard because, as you said, more and more people are turning out, and the rallies and the demonstrations have become more, but also the violence has become more?
What will it take for the people to get their voices heard? This is of course despite having Saudi [Arabia] and the US supporting the Bahraini regime.
Rajab: Well, not only that but we have a problem that the Bahraini government has banned all journalists, news agencies and international TV channels to enter Bahrain. They have banned all international and regional human rights organizations to monitor the human rights situation in Bahrain.
They think by doing so the whole world will not know what is happening in here; but in fact, by doing that most of the Bahraini activists have become journalists themselves, they have become correspondents by themselves, they have become human rights activists. So you still can see the stories; you still can see Press TV telling you what is happening in Bahrain and the other TV channels.
Bahrain is trying their best to cover all the crimes happening in Bahrain but I think they cannot do that.
Whether the United States government or the Saudi government will continue supporting Bahrain or not, I think the people's commitment are strengthening us. I am very much optimistic that if people continue in the same spirit, I think we are going to achieve the goal that we are fighting for.
/106
