Bahraini regime keeps opposition leaders as hostages in prison to strengthen their security approach

BAHRAIN (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Sayed Hadi Al Musawi, Head of Al Wefaq’s Liberties and Freedom Directorate, yesterday said “keeping political and speech prisoners detained strengthens the security approach and postpones a political solution.”Al Musawi said “there is no country in the world with such a high ratio of political prisoners to the total number of citizens. Around 1,400 people have been detained in one year and a half, including women and children.”“The state of emergency declared on March 15th 2011 was followed by a campaign of mass arrests, targeting all sectors of society including political leaders. This was a campaign that was based on propaganda and word of mouth rather than any criminal or legal foundations.”Al Musawi emphasized on the fact that “The Bahraini regime has practiced many legal, procedural and human rights violations against these detainees during their detention, with the original sentences being handed out from the national safety courts. It was clear that the regime was targeting citizens through the use of strategically located checkpoints across the country, reflecting the brutal treatment that many detainees have been exposed to. According to BICI report 5 citizens were killed due to systematic torture whilst in detention.”Almusawi added, “This independent committee (BICI) was brought by the regime itself and even that called for the release of all prisoners who were detained for practicing their freedom of speech and conscience. Yet the regime continues to refuse to release them and is keeping them as hostages. Furthermore the BICI proved that the political leaders were exposed to a brutal torture and many cases were subsequently dropped according to international law.Al Musawi mentioned that all political leaders were calling for a peaceful movement as made clear in many of their statements at different points in time.Al Musawi spoke about how the sentences of the political leaders began in the military courts, were transferred to civil courts and ended in the cessation court that repealed the sentences. According to these findings all political leaders should have been released a long time ago, yet the regime keeps them as hostages for bargaining in any political solution.The political leaders have also suffered from not having the right to attend the defense witness hearings, which extended their detention and therefore their time as hostages.He continued, “All of the detention cases reported after this were carried in the same security manner. Arrests brought the process of establishing stability and security to zero. Detentions strengthen the unfair security mentality that is most prevalent in this regime. This will not end until all political and free speech detainees have been released.Al Musawi ended by adding, “the regime has been accusing these detainees with such sentences to make the case that the country reached such a stage to justify the use of violence and terror against citizens. Many citizens have been victim to the regimes mass arrests whilst at the same time the real criminals who carry out the violations remains free. This proves there is no justice in Bahrain.”/129