Bahrain Military Trials of Civilian Medical Staff

A rights group in Bahrain says more detainees are joining a hunger strike to protest ongoing trials from the crackdown on demonstrations for greater rights by the Gulf nation's Shia majority.


A statement on Saturday by the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said the strike now includes nearly 20 doctors who are jailed and face anti-state charges linked to the protests against Bahrain's ruling Sunni dynasty.

The rights group said at least two other prominent activists, Abdul Jalil al-Singace and Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, have also begun hunger strikes in solidarity. The activists were sentenced to life in prison in June.



Nabeel Rajab, a spokesman for the group, said the detainees are insisting that a trial, if any, should take place in a civil court not a military tribunal.



The trials are scheduled to resume on Wednesday.


Rajab said because little change has come into effect despite promises of reform from the government, there are now renewed protests in the prisons and in the streets.


Zainab al-Khawaja says her father, Abdulhadi, and al-Singace, opposition Haq movement member, stopped eating on Tuesday in solidarity with detainees held at Bahrain's Dry Dock prison.

She said the detainees, who were arrested as part of a March crackdown on pro-democracy protests, went on hunger strike against the government's failure to honour promises to release them.

"I am concerned about my father's health," al-Khawaja said. "He was beaten when detained and his jaw was broken.


"He has already lost too much weight in prison and yesterday he called me and said his blood sugar level has dropped," she added.

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who also holds Danish citizenship, was jailed for life along with Singace and six other opposition activists in June.

Security forces backed by troops from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia crushed the protest movement.


The opposition says that scores of people were arrested, and many of them tortured. Hundreds more were dismissed from their jobs.

Four people have been sentenced to death and three to life imprisonment. Nine others were jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of abducting a policeman.

Bahrain Medics on hunger strike

Bahraini medical professionals, who were arrested at the start of a government crackdown on pro-democracy protests earlier this year, have gone on hunger strike, their relatives say.

They have been held in jail for almost six months, while their trial continues in a military court.


Bahraini and international human rights organisations have called the trials a farce.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Khalil Al-Mazrooq, a former chairman of the Shia bloc Al Wefaq, said: "The trial of Bahraini medics in a military tribunal is against the country’s constitution. Article 105 of the constitution says civilians should be tried in civilian courts only."

UAE Peaceful Protesters for Indian Hunger Striker Arrested!

Social activist and civil society leader Anna Hazare, who is on fast demanding the passing of Jan Lok Pal bill to fight against corruption, has received overwhelming support not only from fellow citizens of the nation, but non-resident Indians who spread across the world as well.

In UAE, where laws pertaining to carrying protest marches without prior permission are strict, at least five Indians were arrested for protesting in support of Anna Hazare, on Saturday August 20 evening.

It has been reported that on Monday August 22 three more Indians were arrested for the Saturday protest.


A group of around 150 people gathered at Al Mamzar beach, brought together through a campaign on Facebook. While the group was marching with slogans, banners and Indian flags in support of Anna Hazare, Dubai police reached the spot and asked only the leaders who initiated the march to stay and the rest of the people to leave the place.


It is learnt from reliable source that a case has been booked against the leaders for illegally organising the march through Facebook without obtaining permission.