(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) -
Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa's probe on the Saudi-backed regime's crackdown of protesters may not be effective because it doesn't follow normal protocol, says an activist.
In an interview, Zainab al-Khawaja, Bahraini activist, tells us about the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and the violence still underway on the peaceful protesters.
Q: We're hearing of a probe taking place in Bahrain which is to start its work on Sunday. I don't know if you're familiar with that. Will the government give the panel access to whatever it wants to find the facts about the Saudi-backed crackdown? And what do you think will be the result of that probe?
Al-Khawaja: The commission that is working right now in Bahrain is the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry headed by professor Cherif Bassiouni. They've just started their work, and two days ago they've addressed a press conference talking about the commission and what kind of work they will be doing here in Bahrain.
Of course, only time will tell how much they will be able to do and how independent they really are. Many in Bahrain have this question on their mind and are not exactly sure because this commission was brought to Bahrain by the order of the King [Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa]. That makes a big question mark in the minds of the Bahrainis as to how independent they really are, how far they can go speaking about the violations that have happened, and who is responsible for those violations.
Q: We are seeing that the Bahrainis are saying they're protesting on a daily basis because they demand not only the release of the prisoners but also real political and social reforms in Bahrain.
First of all, do you think that the probes like this are going to, at least, bring some of those reforms to Bahrain or not - not just political prisoners being released, as said there by those protesters - deep reforms both social and political?
Al-Khawaja: The really sad thing is, and it's very difficult to be positive at the moment as this commission has started, the violations are happening on the streets at the same time.
Usually what happens is that the governments would stop the violations, show regret about the violations that have happened, and bring a commission to investigate.
What's happening in Bahrain is actually not like that. Actually, it's very strange. At the same time that they created the commission to investigate the violations that had happened in February and March, at the same time the violations have happened.
On the night of the press conference, one young man was beaten and his bloody body was thrown beside one of the houses, and he was saved at the last moment by people who saw him thrown on the street by riot police. This is unacceptable.
How are the Bahraini people going to believe in this commission when they don't even see that it is safe to go out of their houses or to peacefully protest?
By doing this commission, the King will show that he cares about what happens to the Bahraini people or that he wants to stop the violations, even when this is happening at the same time.
Many Bahrainis right now, every time they go out, every time people are beaten they say where's the commission? They should be concerned that these violations should stop before they start the investigation, basically.
As you said, the protests will not stop and I don't think they will stop anytime soon. Almost on a daily basis people are going out. When people went out of prison they join the other protesters to show that we have bigger demands and we want the political prisoners to be released.
We want the system in the country to change. We don't want systematic torture. We want the people to be represented.
Before this call, I was talking to my father who is serving a life sentence in a military prison just for being a human rights activist. I asked him if he has a message for the people of Bahrain and tells me that we will continue on this path and we will not stop, and we have the patience for going on and not stopping. We always demand our rights.
And I feel the same way. More than I want my father and husband to be released from prison, I want freedom for Bahrain.
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In an interview, Zainab al-Khawaja, Bahraini activist, tells us about the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and the violence still underway on the peaceful protesters.
Q: We're hearing of a probe taking place in Bahrain which is to start its work on Sunday. I don't know if you're familiar with that. Will the government give the panel access to whatever it wants to find the facts about the Saudi-backed crackdown? And what do you think will be the result of that probe?
Al-Khawaja: The commission that is working right now in Bahrain is the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry headed by professor Cherif Bassiouni. They've just started their work, and two days ago they've addressed a press conference talking about the commission and what kind of work they will be doing here in Bahrain.
Of course, only time will tell how much they will be able to do and how independent they really are. Many in Bahrain have this question on their mind and are not exactly sure because this commission was brought to Bahrain by the order of the King [Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa]. That makes a big question mark in the minds of the Bahrainis as to how independent they really are, how far they can go speaking about the violations that have happened, and who is responsible for those violations.
Q: We are seeing that the Bahrainis are saying they're protesting on a daily basis because they demand not only the release of the prisoners but also real political and social reforms in Bahrain.
First of all, do you think that the probes like this are going to, at least, bring some of those reforms to Bahrain or not - not just political prisoners being released, as said there by those protesters - deep reforms both social and political?
Al-Khawaja: The really sad thing is, and it's very difficult to be positive at the moment as this commission has started, the violations are happening on the streets at the same time.
Usually what happens is that the governments would stop the violations, show regret about the violations that have happened, and bring a commission to investigate.
What's happening in Bahrain is actually not like that. Actually, it's very strange. At the same time that they created the commission to investigate the violations that had happened in February and March, at the same time the violations have happened.
On the night of the press conference, one young man was beaten and his bloody body was thrown beside one of the houses, and he was saved at the last moment by people who saw him thrown on the street by riot police. This is unacceptable.
How are the Bahraini people going to believe in this commission when they don't even see that it is safe to go out of their houses or to peacefully protest?
By doing this commission, the King will show that he cares about what happens to the Bahraini people or that he wants to stop the violations, even when this is happening at the same time.
Many Bahrainis right now, every time they go out, every time people are beaten they say where's the commission? They should be concerned that these violations should stop before they start the investigation, basically.
As you said, the protests will not stop and I don't think they will stop anytime soon. Almost on a daily basis people are going out. When people went out of prison they join the other protesters to show that we have bigger demands and we want the political prisoners to be released.
We want the system in the country to change. We don't want systematic torture. We want the people to be represented.
Before this call, I was talking to my father who is serving a life sentence in a military prison just for being a human rights activist. I asked him if he has a message for the people of Bahrain and tells me that we will continue on this path and we will not stop, and we have the patience for going on and not stopping. We always demand our rights.
And I feel the same way. More than I want my father and husband to be released from prison, I want freedom for Bahrain.
/129