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Al Khalifah systemically abuses Bahrainis with West support: Activist

Monday, 03 October 2016 5:13 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 03 October 2016 5:14 PM ]

This file photo taken on May 29, 2016 shows a Bahraini man holding a placard bearing the portrait of Sheikh Ali Salman, head of the Shia opposition movement al-Wefaq, during a protest against his arrest, at al-Wefaq headquarter building, in the village of Zinj on the outskirts of the capital Manama. (Photo by AFP)

The Al Khalifah regime is systematically undermining and abusing Bahraini citizens with the West’s support, Massoud Shadjareh, a member of the Islamic Human Rights Commission told Press TV.

He also said Bahrain’s treatment of personalities like distinguished Shia cleric Sheikh Ali Salman is “part and parcel” of these systematic abuses.

A court in Bahrain has turned down a request to grant freedom to Sheikh Salman.

On Monday, the Supreme Court of Appeal rejected the request to release the 50-year-old clergyman, who is serving a nine-year prison sentence on charges of inciting violence and calling for anti-regime demonstrations.

Sheikh Salman was arrested in December 2014. He denies the charges brought against him, saying he has been seeking reforms in the country through peaceful means.

The activist called the court’s decision “extremely disappointing” but not something that was not expected.

Shadjareh also mentioned the Bahrainis have been holding peaceful demonstrations on the streets despite the regime’s crackdown.

“All the demonstrations and the concerns of the ordinary citizens have been extremely peaceful despite the fact that regime has used everything against them. It has used live bullets, it has actually tortured them, it has actually killed them and even young children and women have been murdered by the security forces and tortured. Despite all that, they have been extremely peaceful,” he said.

He also argued the only way forward is that the Bahraini regime eventually sits down with its citizens and legitimizes its rulership.

According to the activist, the Al Khalifah regime is managing to get away with its crimes because the United States and Britain are more concerned of having their military bases in Bahrain than the lives of ordinary people.

Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held numerous demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the kingdom on February 14, 2011. They are demanding that the Al Khalifah dynasty relinquish power and a just system representing all Bahrainis be established.

Manama has spared no effort to clamp down on the dissent and rights activists. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to Bahrain to assist the Manama regime in its crackdown on peaceful protesters.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifah regime’s crackdown on activists.

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