(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The death toll in the crisis-hit Bahrain is on the rise, as well as the number of injured.
In an interview with Nabeel Rajab from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, discusses the situation in Bahrain. The following is a transcript of the interview:
Q: Just give us an idea of the situation in Bahrain. What is it like?
Rajab: Well, first of all, I have to update you on the facts and figures. According to the Bahraini Center for Human Rights, the total number of people arrested in the past two or three weeks has reached 600. This figure is in addition to 200 other people, who had been arrested before 14th of February.
So we have approximately a total number of 800 people in detention, which is more than one out of a thousand citizens in detention. Among them there are 25 women. There are still 21people (who have) disappeared. No one knows where they are. No one knows whether they are alive or (have been ) killed. There are doctors, politicians and bloggers, technicians, nurses, human rights activists and politicians among the detainees.
People were attacked from the moment they started their protests. Many people have been injured and we don't know how many they are because the whole country has been disconnected by checkpoints. The telephones are being monitored, so it's not easy to communicate with other people. But we know that there are some people in critical condition, some of whom, were shot with live ammunition.
A lot of people have been arrested from Bahrain International Circuit. A lot of men and women were called for interrogation from their workplace and they haven't shown up, so far. There is news that the government is now heading to demolish three mosques tomorrow. I don't know under what justification they are going to do that. The situation in Bahrain is very critical now.
Q: How effective have these intimidation techniques been in actually curtailing -- or stopping -- the momentum of the protest in that country?
Rajab: Well, the Bahraini government has targeted people on their income and the way of their living, but none of its techniques have succeeded so far.
People have legitimate rights and there are more and more that believe they have a right to achieve (them). They know more than before that this situation has to be changed. This has to be stopped, and I think the Bahraini people are now more committed to continue their protests. It might slow down for some time because the crackdown is very severe, violent and bloody. The crackdown might stop protests for a short period, but that won't work for a long time.
The regimes cannot suppress people for a long time. They might have been able to suppress people 50 years ago, but you cannot do it now. The governments can detain and torture people, but that won't solve their problem. Now there are 800 people in detention, which is a very huge number considering that the Bahrain population is only 600 thousand. But will that solve the problem of Bahraini government? I don't think so.
Q: How do you see that the situation has forced the international community to react to the situation in Bahrain?
Rajab: Well, as you said, the awareness seems to be coming to the society. When we talk about civil society and organizations, I think I am satisfied to a certain limit; but when it comes to the officials and the government, I have to say that it's very disappointing.
Crimes have been committed in this country very clearly, and I have just gone through the United States statement on Bahrain. A lot of crime has committed here and we have not seen any reaction to it. It's very disappointing, but I can see that among people, the universities and the civil society, the awareness is growing.
I have been spoken to (approached by) different people and organizations. The only thing they asked for was to stop the United States arms supply to the Bahraini government. Manu people were injured by American ammunition in Bahrain and the American techniques and all the repressive tools by the government are either American or European. So we can see a growing pressure on the United States to stop supporting the Bahraini government.
But after all, we are relying on our own people, and I can see that people are committed to bring change and democracy to Bahrain. And I believe that if people keep continuing their struggle, we will grab that issue of the international community.
Q: You are sitting talking to me and of course, there is a harsh crackdown now there. How concerned are you about your own safety?
Rajab: Well, this is the most dangerous thing to do in Bahrain nowadays. Most of the people who were talking to foreign media (outlets) have been arrested in the past days, and were beaten up from the moment they were arrested.
I was arrested last month. I was released, but that won't guarantee that I won't be arrested again. But you know, I believe in my words, and I'm sure that what I am doing is the right thing to do. And I'm very much confident in what I am doing. I know that it has a price, and that price could be costly. But me, my colleagues, and my friends in the human rights community in Bahrain are ready to pay that price to achieve our rights.
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