#bahrain
THE FIRST TIME I spoke with Zainab al-Khawaja, in a Skype video conversation in late 2011, the Bahraini dissident explained to me that the popularity of her @angryarabiya Twitter feed — which she used to chart the violent suppression of Bahrain’s Arab Spring uprising that year — seemed to have given her a measure of protection from the authorities.
I asked why she had not been immediately arrested at a protest the week before, when she stood defiantly in front of the riot police firing tear gas at other pro-democracy protesters — an image of defiance that went viral and embarrassed the Persian Gulf monarchy, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Khawaja replied that she had overheard officers being instructed not to detain or beat her. “One officer kept telling the police, ‘Not this one,‘” she recalled.
Khawaja was detained and briefly interrogated by a female police officer later that day, before being released. “I think the reason is that I am active, I am known, in the country and internationally, not to a big extent, but I have a big following on Twitter.”
“I wish that every Bahraini was protected the way I am,” she added. “Just because I’ve been speaking out on Twitter and other places doesn’t have more rights.”
Continue reading at the Intercept. (by Robert Mackey)
Freelance reporter Anna Day and three cameramen detained while covering anniversary of Shia uprising
Four American journalists who were arrested on Sunday during protests marking the fifth anniversary of a Shia-led uprising in Bahrain have been charged and released, according to their families and a prosecutor.
“The families of four US journalists who were arrested in Bahrain on 14 February can confirm that they have been released from detention” said a statement released by the family of the Americans.
“While we believe the four should not have been held at all, we are grateful to the Bahraini authorities for facilitating their timely release,” it read.
Freelance reporter Anna Therese Day and her camera crew were charged with illegally assembling with intent to commit a crime. They were arrested on February 14 while covering protests to mark the five-year anniversary of the political uprising in the Gulf kingdom.
Read more at the Guardian.
Image: Reuters
Four Bahraini journalists stripped of citizenship
Bahraini authorities revoked the nationality of at least four journalists among a total of 72 citizens, after accusing them under article 10 of the country’s citizenship act of supporting terrorism, the state-runBahrain News Agency reported.
Those named on the Ministry of Interior list have been accused of spying for foreign countries; using social media to recruit others to engage in terroristic acts; attempting to destabilize the government through incitement and spreading of misinformation; and inciting the overthrow of the government, according to news reports. The government defended its decision, saying it was to “preserve and protect security and stability,” news reports said.
Read more.
Image: REUTERS/ Hamad I Mohammed
theeconomist:
Daily chart: Measuring people power
globalvoices:
“He witnessed the crime with his own eyes.. and they couldn’t handle his honesty in doing his journalistic duty.. So they kicked him out of Gaza”
Bahrain has denied countless international journalists entry into the country amid a fierce crackdown on anti-regime protesters. Over a…
humanrightswatch:
adhrb:
This month, ADHRB’s Champion for Justice is freelance photographer Hussain Hubail, who was arbitrarily arrested, tortured and sentenced to 5 years in prison for taking pictures of the pro-democracy protests in Bahrain. His appeal is set for Sunday June 22nd, 2014. Join us on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook on June 20th by using hashtag #FreeHubail in your posts. Share the image below and call on the Bahrain government to respect the freedom of expression and the press by releasing Hussain Hubail from prison.
Ahmad Humaidan, a photojournalist, who was been imprisoned since December 2012, was sentenced to 10 years in jail on March 26, 2014.
The above photographs were taken at a rally that took place this weekend in solidarity for imprisoned Bahraini journalists.
Read more here.
(Photo Credits: Hamad F.)
samitokhais:
Adliya. Manama, Bahrain
“Every year, the Bahraini government hopes the roar of Formula One cars will drown out criticism of the regime’s human rights violations. This year, we’re calling on everyone to join our F1 campaign to make sure that does not happen.”
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Soazig Dollet, head of RSF’s Middle East and North Africa desk.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have already joined our Thunderclap campaign to highlight press freedom violations in Bahrain for the Formula One race this Sunday. Have you?
To get more information and to join the campaign, please visit the campaign website.
