(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Saudi-backed forces have reportedly thrown teargas and concussion bombs while people took to the street chanting slogans against the Manama regime.
Bahrain has been called on by human rights watch to stop trying civilians in military courts.
This interview is with Maryam al-Khawaja from the Bahrain Center of Human Rights in Geneva, concerning the recent events taking place in the Persian Gulf Island.
Q: Now, the crackdown continues on protesters all over Bahrain. Martial law imposed by the regime is said to be lifted soon. Do you think things are going to change on the ground, once that happens?
al-Khawaja: Well, I'm not sure. I'm really hoping so. I mean, the Bahrain government has finally accepted an invitation or to invite the High Commissioner for Human Rights (Navanethem 'Navi' Pillay) to visit Bahrain. And I think that's a good sign, but I would like to see more of that happening. And, unfortunately on the ground the situation is, basically, a daily campaign of terror against the Bahrainis. One of these things that seems to be a too much of a coincidence is the fact that the decision to bring back upon to Bahrain, will be made on the 3rd of June. So it's only two days away from the nation day of... but again on the other hand, you also have the protestors saying that they are going to come back out on the 1st of June, and trying to go back to what was once the Pearl Square. So, I'm not really sure how that's going to play out.
Q: Now, [US President Barack] Obama has failed to mention the situation in Bahrain, in his so called, new Middle-East policy. How much has that gone, as far as, giving the green-light to the continued crack down on peaceful protestors in Bahrain?
al-Khawaja: Well, Obama did say a few things that, I think, were very applause-able in his speech, and that people, actually, did not expect. You know, when during the speech, it was when Bahrain was bought up that the audience actually started to clap, but unfortunately, I think that those words that he said will not have any meaning unless they actually turn into actions on the ground.
Q: Right, can you tell us a bit more on these military tribunals. They don't seem to be ending. They have been criticized by human rights groups all over the world.
How have they been playing a role, in as far as, intimidating the peaceful protestors that are demanding democracy and reforms?
al-Khawaja: Well, so far we have seen numerous cases in which people have been given sentences for one year to 20[years]. Mainly the charges are things like incitement against the regime, or incitement or hatred against the regime and things like that, or fabricating photos, furnishing the kingdoms reputation abroad, or even illegal assemblies, because in Bahrain, the law says that if you are more than five people in one place, then you have to get permission from the Ministry of Interior otherwise it's an illegal assembly.
So if you you're seeing these fast-track trails that are happening in Bahrain against the people, who are protesting, and also we are seeing other cases in which people are getting sentences up to 20 years, or we are seeing people getting death penalties like the two others did. But I think it's really worsened and very concerning, especially the fact that first of all, we don't have an independent judiciary system, so already it's impossible for people to get up there in an independent trail, but on the other hand, also we haven't received any real evidence presented by the government, in these cases against the people who then sentenced years imprisonment.
Q: We know that Bahrain has fallen 51 places in the Global Peace Index, recently. Do you think that the regimes reaction to further protests is going to be different, considering this fall?
al-Khawaja: Well, I'm not very optimistic about that actually, because once people are going to come out and lifting of the national state of safety. The head of the military in Bahrain, or defense force, basically said, if we used 100 percent last time; we are going to be using 200 percent this time. And I think that is a clear sign that the military is sending out a clear warning to people saying if you do this kind of protests again, we are going to come down hard on the protestors.
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