Foreign media and journalists have been interested since February 14 in the Bahraini uprising, many have been to the pearl roundabout, been present in protests and rallies and have interviewed protestors, to report later on to the whole world the peacefulness and civilized nature of the uprising, their legitimate demands and calls for political reform.
On March 18, Bahraini government imposed the Martial Law and has started a campaign to conceal the facts about the on ground situation and hide its ongoing brutality and crimes. In its attempt to silence and intimidate whoever would speak out and contact the media, Bahrain regime started targeting those who have appeared on television or talked to journalists about the uprising and exposed the violations.
"They are going to Target us one by one, whoever appeared on a camera", said Sayed Ahmed Al Wadae, (Photo on top) an engineer graduated from the UK, on AlJazeera Bahrain: Fighting for Change documentary [1], as if he was foreseeing what was going to happen, however, it did not hold him form expressing his opinion and his demands for reform, as he spoke of discrimination against shia citizens and explained how he was attacked and beaten on the first crackdown on the pearl roundabout on February 20. On March 16, right after the crackdown on the protesters at the pearl roundabout, Sayed Ahmed’s house was raided late at night and he got arrested and held incommunicado for a month before getting released on 11 April to be arrested again weeks later and presented before the military court on May 23, to be sentenced to one year imprisonment for "taking part in illegal protests and disrupting public order" [2]. The sentence was later reduced to 6 month imprisonment by the court of appeals.
In the same documentary Dr. Nada Dhaif appeared , she was introduced as one of the young doctors that set up a medical tent in pearl roundabout, she explained how 14 Feb uprising is a peaceful movement with no political background which was called for by Bahraini youth on the facebook to "go on the streets and demand for their rights"[3] . However, Dr. Nada got arrested[4] on the 21 March after a nightly house raid and she was held incommunicado until she was released after more than a month on 5 May to be called for a military trial along with another 47 medical staff.
Between 17 and 19 March 2011, a number of medical doctors were arrested, reportedly as a consequence of having spoken to the media about the authorities' actions in sealing and militarizing hospitals in the week of the crackdown on protesters. These doctors including Dr Ali Al-Ekri, Dr Bassem Dhaif and Dr Ghassan Dhaif[5] , were reportedly subjected to torture.[6] On their trials before the military court on June 6, they said they were tortured in detention and forced to sign false confessions[7] . They are being charged with multiple charges among them "Spreading false news and rumors that harm the public interest."[8]
Mohammed Khalil Lutfallah, 23 years old Bahraini students who was studying in Newcastle, England, participated in the protests held in Bahrain and England and appeared speaking in NY times report talking about the demands of people and the youth situation in Bahrain, four days after his return to Bahrain, his house in Maqaba was raided on May 10 at 1:30 am by masked men and he was arrested[9]. He was released recently on 12 June but could be called again to attend a military trial.
Redha Mohammed Jasim, 22 years old, a student from Bahrain studying in Pune University, was arrested on 19 April 2011 after a raid on his house in Manama at dawn, about one month after getting back to Bahrain. His family believes he was arrested for speaking to the media against the regime of Bahrain[10] .
Left to right: Mattar Mattar, Jawad Fairuz
Mattar Ebrahim Mattar[11] , a member of Al Wefaq political society and the youngest MP in the parliament at the age of 35 representing more than 16,000 Bahrainis; he resigned along with other Al Wefaq MPs earlier this year to protest against the government’s crackdown on demonstrators. He was known for being active and vocal, always speaking [12] to the media about the demands of the people and exposing the regime violations to international Human Rights organizations and journalists, especially after imposing martial law on March 15. In his last interview with Al Jazeera, Mattar expressed his concern of the threats on politicians in Bahrain and only a day after his interview on 2nd May he was taken from his car by armed men in masks and forced into an unmarked car at gunpoint[13].
On the same night about 30 security officers in civilian clothes and some masked, surrounded and entered Jawad Fairuz's home and arrested him at gun point after they threatened to harm his wife and daughter. Both Mattar and Fairuz have since been held incommunicado without access to lawyers or relatives. Fairuz is also a former member in parliament from Bahrain's largest opposition group who has spoken to media[14] .
On June 12, the special military court began hearings against Matar and Fairouz without notifying their lawyers or families. The two pled not guilty to charges of providing false news to the media and participating in illegal gatherings. A person close to the parliamentarians said that Matar told a family member that he had been kept in solitary confinement for most of his more than 40 days in detention[15].
Ebrahim Al Madhoon is another Al Wefaq member who has been actively talking to the media and criticizing the government’s repression. On 23 March at 3am, Al Madhoon’s house got raided[16] by security forces but they could not find him as he is out of the country, therefore, they went after his family and arrested 4 of his sons, 4 of his nephew and 2 relatives and confiscated all computers and cameras that were in the house. On 16 May, the military court sentenced 2 of his sons to 20 years’ imprisonment for kidnapping a policeman[17] .
Bahraini Human Rights activists had their share of being suppressed and targeted for their connections and relations to international organizations, media and journalists and for exposing the crimes and violations towards the citizens, especially those who always appear in the media. Nabeel Rajab, the president of Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) was harassed more than once, in one incident beaten in interrogation and in another his house was tear gassed by security forces[18] . Abbas Al Omran, a human rights activist and member of BCHR who obtained refugee status in Britain a few years ago, and who is actively speaking to the international media about human rights violations in Bahrain has also been put on the list of wanted and is being tried in absentia along with another 20 activists accused with plotting to overthrow the regime[19] . His family was also punished as his wife was interrogated and then banned from leaving Bahrain[20] . Also, Said Yousif Al Muhafdah, another member in BCHR and an activist, has been talking to media since 14 February until 20 March when his home got raided to get him arrested but they did not find him; Al Muhafdah had an interview with NY Times a day before the raid and a televised interview with Al Hurra[21] .
Amber Lyon, a CNN reporter, who was in Bahrain said[22] that most of the sources who had agreed to talk to her in Bahrain have disappeared, their family members or those close to them said that they had been arrested or gone in the hiding after security forces raided their homes and threatened them.
Many more have been targeted merely for speaking to the media, in the first days of the protests before imposing the martial law, nowadays, most of those speaking to the media hide their identity such as Fatima[23] who appeared on ABC news to talk about her mother but she did not give any details that might expose her identity and talked about the doctors’ case in general and the whispering women who have agreed to be recorded in an interview with NPR only if she could whisper, in English, so that authorities wouldn't recognize her voice[24].
Freedom of speech and expression is a right for all human being that has been legislated in Human Rights Act, Article 10, Freedom of Expression, that states "everyone has the right of freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers". BCHR believes that the government of Bahrain is violating this right by targeting and arresting people for talking to media and expressing oneself.
Based on all the above, the BCHR demands the Bahraini Authorities to:
(1) Release all those detained for speaking or contacting media and practicing their right to freedom of expression
(2) Put an end to all unfair trials that has no valid and legal basis
(3) Annul all the policies and procedures that restrict the freedom of opinion and expression
(4) Abide to the international human rights charters an covenants that states that all human beings have the right to express themselves freely.
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