Teen’s Death Reignites Political Dissent in Bahrain, Opposition Rips King al-Khalifa’s Reign

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain–Thousands of mourners gathered in Bahrain for the funeral of a young protester whose life was taken by a police vehicle, as security forces attempted to dissipate demonstrators rallying against the nation’s leaders near a United States naval base, which is home to the Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

Bahraini police prepare to move the body of 16 year old Ali Youssef Badgar. (Photo Courtesy of Al-Jazeera)

Ali Yussef Baddah, age 16, was killed on the spot when a police car struck him in the Al-Jufair suburb after midnight on Friday 18 November 2011, according to Al-Wefaq, the largest Shiite opposition group in Bahrain.

Ali Badgar, Ali’s uncle, stated that he rushed to the area with Ali’s father, but the police had the site quarantined off and would not allow anybody to approach the scene. Badgar shared this statement with Al-Jazeera about the situation concerning his deceased teenager nephew.

“Our boy was dead and they left him lying in the street for hours.”

According to the state-run Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the police vehicle that killed Ali Yussef Baddah skidded into a group of “rioters committing acts of sabotage” due to an oil spill on the road. The BNA report stated that authorities are investigating the incident that occurred just moments before 1AM local time on Sunday 20 November 2011.

The Interior Ministry disputed opposition claims that police purposefully drove the car into the crowd of protesters, stating that the anti-riot police was “ambushed” by demonstrators and lost control after driving on an oil slick spilled by the opposition. It released the following statement concerning the incident.

“Shortly after midnight, vandals had poured oil on Al Shabab road, causing the driver of a police patrol to lose control of the vehicle and hit the pedestrian, who died at the scene.”

This past March, Bahrain imposes martial law and invited some 1,500 troops from Saudia Arabi and other Gulf neighbors to enter its borders.

The country has endured several months of anti-government protests and subsequent crackdowns in the geographically significant Gulf nation, particularly for the United States. The unrest and uprisings commenced when the country’s Shia majority started campaigning for greater rights and freedoms. Many Shia professionals, including lawyers, doctors, and nurses have been detained and tried on anti-state charges in a special security court since the beginning of protests inspired and ignited by uprisings sweeping through the Arab world like a wildfire.

Despite the resolve of the nation’s leaders to not change a thing, critics of the government have continued to openly and publicly display their dissent. A march in the village of Aali on Friday 18 November 2011 is one of many recent demonstrations against the current regime’s reign.

In another instance according to Shiite opposition group Al-Wefaq, a Shiite mosque was targeted by security forces, leavings large sections of it damaged. The group said that hundreds of people had been injured by security forces on Friday 18 November 2011 and Saturday 19 2011.

More than 30 individuals have lost their lives to the nation-wide protests. Opposition groups claim that more than 1,000 people, predominantly Shiites have been detained and some 2,000 have lost their jobs for allegedly taking part in the protests and demonstrations.

A report prepared by The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), which has been investigating the alleged abuses during the continued social uprising, is due this coming Wednesday 23 November 2011. Mahmoud Cherif Bassiouni, an Egyptian-born professor of international criminal law and a former member of the United Nations Human Rights panels, heads the five-member panel of the BICI preparing the investigation. The commission was established in July 2011 with the consent of Bahrain’s leaders.

In the months following the beginning of the uprisings, the panel has received well over 8,000 complaints, testimonies, and documents. Members of the panel have interviewed over 5,000 witnesses and alleged victims of violence. These witnesses and alleged victims include detainees, police personnel, doctors, and journalists. In the course of its information gathering, the panel has drawn controversy from various human rights groups for the way it has conducted its investigation.

The Bahrain Mirror, an e-newspaper operated by dissenters, published a report last week arguing that the BICI lacks the requisite credibility to conduct a valid report because it failed to consult civil society and Bahraini NGOs. The e-newspaper released the following statement concerning the BICI’s lack of credibility. It has also reported that the panel was created by the King Hamad al-Khalifa to avoid a UN fact-finding commission.

“The BICI chief repeatedly hailed the King of Bahrain, the Ministers and the government officials for their cooperation with the Commission, while he took harsh stance toward a number of victims whom were believed (even by the Commission itself) were subjected to violations or arbitrary arrest, torture, or unfair trials, even it amounted to explicit criminalization of one of those sentenced to death while final verdict has been issued against him yet.”

The U.S. State Department on Friday 18 November 2011 updated its travel alert on Bahrain, detailing the “potential for unrest” and states that all visitors face “increased scrutiny” from Bahraini authorities.

“Travel in and around Bahrain could become dangerous without advance warning.”

One can only hope that the government decides to hear and act on the demands of its citizens because they are substantially at more risk than travelers and tourists.

 

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Factbox: Arab Spring Momentum In Middle East, North Africa – 20 November 2011

Al-Jazeera – Bahrain Teenager Killed by Police Vehicle – 19 November 2011

Ahram – Bahrain Protester Killed By Police Vehicle – 19 November 2011

Bahrain Freedom Movement – Teenager Killed in Bahrain Amid High Tension – 19 November 2011

CNN – Clashes Break Out in Bahrain After Teen’s Death – 19 November 2011

Washington Post – Bahrain: Teen Killed When Police Car Skidded On Oil Slick During Protests – 19 November 2011

Author: Impunity Watch Archive