By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel – On Sunday, 15 April, Israeli police denied 43 pro-Palestinian activists entry into Israel at Ben-Gurion Airport.  The authorities sent 12 activists to their country of origin and detained 31 activists to the Givon detention center.  Moreover, the police held 9 people protesting at the airport for investigation.

However, two female activists with French and Italian citizenship gained access to the country and arrived in Bethlehem on Sunday.  The 23-year-old French activist reported she attempted to board a flight to Israel from the Lyon airport in France as part of a 50 person group.  The French police prevented half of the activists from boarding the flight while she expects the Israeli authorities to deport the other half.

She commented that the security forces in France and Israel “treated us like criminals or terrorists, despite the fact that we made it clear that we came for peaceful purposes.”  She added, “It was very frustrating and surprising that French authorities cooperated with Israel’s claims and propaganda.”

Carriers in Manchester and Brussels also prevented passengers from flying.  Manchester passenger Mick Napier said, “We were demonstrating over our right to travel but we also had the extra provocation of Jet2 refusing to reimburse us for our flights.”  Jet2 recently agreed to reimburse the passengers.

These activists intended to travel to Israel to participate in the “Welcome to Palestine 2012” weeklong conference.  The protest organizers reported airlines notified 60 percent of the expected 1,500 activists scheduled to arrive in Israel on Sunday that their flights were cancelled.  After Israel release this list, it  warned the airlines they must take responsibility for passenger’s immediate return if a banned person arrived in the country.

A similar “fly-in” protest took place in July 2011 where the Israeli authorities detained 120 of the 300 international activists that arrived in Israel.  The authorities denied entry to 69 people as well.

The airlines that prevented the activists from boarding flights over the weekend included Lufthansa, Jet2, Air France, and EasyJet.  EasyJet announced it would not allow passengers on Israel’s no-entry list to board.  In a letter to the international airlines, Israel’s Internal Ministry wrote, “due to statements of pro-Palestinian radicals to arrive on commercial flights from abroad to disrupt the order and confront security forces at friction points, it was decided to deny their entry.”

If an activist arrives in Israel, the authorities will give them a letter stating the activists are disregarding the humanitarian crisis in Syria, the militants firing rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip, and Iran’s support of terror.  The letter reads, “We therefore suggest you first solve the real problems of the region, and then come back and share with us your experience…Have a nice flight.”

For further information, please see:

BBC – Pro-Palestinian Activists Refused Israel Flight – 15 Apr 2012

Haaretz – Pro-Palestinian ‘Fly-In’ Activist: Israel and Europe Treated Us Like Terrorists – 15 Apr 2012

Reuters – Update 4 – Israel Moves To Thwart Pro-Palestinian “Fly-In” – 15 Apr 2012

The Boston Globe – Airlines Cancel Activists’ Flights To Israel – 14 Apr 2012

By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – On Wednesday, 11 April, Saudi Arabian authorities refused to acknowledge Mohammed al-Bajadi, a well-known human rights advocate who lived in detention for the past year, has engaged in a hunger strike since 11 March.  The Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights (“ACPRA”) reported their founder’s health is in jeopardy since he stopped eating food last month.  ACPRA added Mr. Bajadi, 34, fainted four times after he refrained from drinking water on Saturday.  For four months of his arbitrary detention, Mr. Bajadi remained in solitary confinement.

Mansour al-Turki, spokesperson for the Interior Minister, contradicts the ACPRA’s report.  He asserts Mr. Bajadi “did not go on hunger strike d he is in good health, consuming food on a regular basis and in the company of other inmates.”

On 21 March 2011, domestic intelligence agents arrested Mr. Bajadi in the Qassim province after demonstrating with family members of detainees outside the interior ministry in Riyadh, the country’s capital.  The Saudis advocated for the authorities to free thousands of people detained for suspiciously engaging in “military activity” and held without a trial or proper charges.  Along with Mr. Bajadi, the activists accuse their government of physically and mentally torturing over 30,000 political prisoners held without legitimate charges or a fair trial.

The authorities also charged Mr. Bajadi with supporting pro-democracy protests in Bahrain, possessing banned books, initiating demonstrations, and joining an unlicensed association.  ACPRA members reported to Human Rights Watch that the government denied their organization a license and that Mr. Bajadi obtained the books from the 2011 international book fair in Riyadh.

During Mr. Bajadi’s trial at the Specialized Criminal Court, a state tribunal hearing terrorism cases, the judges did not allow his lawyers to attend the proceedings.  After Mr. Bajadi refused to recognize the court, the judges suspended his trial.  The ACPRA called for Mr. Bajadi to have a “fair public trial” along with his “immediate release”.

ACPRA published a letter smuggled out of prison Mr. Bajadi wrote on 27 March.  He wrote, “I inform you that I am still continuing with my hunger strike.”  He adds the prison hospital force-fed him on Tuesday, 20 March in the presence of five soldiers and the ward offices.  He reported he also lost 22 pounds and the doctors signaled he had a dangerously low blood sugar level.

The authorities denied several activists who sought to visit Mr. Bajadi on 2 April.

ACPRA blames the interior ministry for Mr. Bajadi condition.  The organization stated, “The interior ministry…carries full responsibility over the deteriorating health condition of the prominent rights activist and member of the association, Mohammed bin Saleh al-Bajadi.”

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Saudi Activist On Hunger Strike ‘In Danger’ – 11 Apr 2012

BBC – Saudi Arabia Denies Activist On Hunger Strike – 11 Apr 2012

The Chicago Tribune – Update 1 – Saudi Arabia Denies Activist On Hunger Strike – 11 Apr 2012

Press TV – Saudi Rights Activists Concerned Over Health Of Al Bajadi – 10 Apr 2012

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain–Activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja has refused food since 08 February 2012 in protest of a life sentence he received in June 2011. He is a Shiite convicted by a military court of plotting against the Sunni-monarchy and is currently in a stable condition. Amnesty International stated last month that the trial was “grossly unfair” and that his conviction was based on a confession he made under duress, and no evidence was presented that showed he had used or advocated violence during the mass protests against King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa.

The nation of Denmark had asked Bahrain to send Khawaja, who is also a Danish citizen, to the Scandinavian country. Bahrain’s official news agency BNA reported on Sunday 08 April 2012 that officials in Manama had turned down the request.

On Monday 09 April 2012, Mr. Khawaja’s lawyer, Mohammed al-Jeshi, expressed fears that his client could have died after repeated attempts and requests to contact him were turned down. al-Jeshi shared these words with AFP on Monday 09 April 2012.

“We fear that he might have passed away as there is no excuse for them to prevent us from visiting or contacting him.”

The daughter of Mr. Khawaja, Zainab, told Al-Jazeera on Monday 09 April that the family had “no idea” about the state of her father’s health as they had not been allowed to call or visit him.

But on Tuesday 10 April 2012, al-Jeshi released a statement confirmed that his 52-year-old client was “in good health” and called on the media to exercise caution concerning the details of the situation. Two foreign doctors, one of them an expert on hunger strikes and the other the director of a medical center in Denmark, had visited the activist at the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital in the capital of Manama. Abdul Rahman al-Sayed, Bahrain’s attorney general, shared these words with a BBC correspondent.

“Despite prior medical reports that showed low blood sugar, potassium, and low white blood cells, which would have endangered his life if he had not received proper medical care, his current condition is well. He was co-operative, quite coherent, well-oriented in time, place and person, as he is receiving good medical care at the BDF hospital.”

Although Mr. Khawaja is in “good health,” the rest of his county is not. On 10 April 2012, seven Bahraini policemen were wounded when a home-made bomb exploded during a protest near the capital calling for the activist’s release. According to an interior ministry spokesman, demonstrators and protesters threw petrol bombs at riot police to lure officers into Eker, a Shia village outside Manama before the explosion was set off.

“We consider this an act of terrorism.”

Demonstrators and protesters have also revealed plans against hosting the Formula One grand prix, which was postponed last year. The race was reinstated to occur this year but was cancelled due to the uprising and bloody crackdown. The governing Internatonal Automobile Federation and Bahraini organizers have maintained that the race is still scheduled for 22 April 2012.

As Mr. Khawaja continues his hunger strike vigil with hopes to bring about change in Bahrain, one can only hope that government officials take stock in how effective demonstrators and protesters can be. The citizens of Bahrain are doing their best to be heard. It is up to the government to listen.

For more information, please see: 

Al-Jazeera – Policemen Injured in Bahrain Blast – 10 April 2012

BBC – Bahrain Hunger Striker Khawaja ‘In Good Health’ – 10 April 2012

Ahram – Jailed Bahrain Hunger-Striker Feared Dead: Lawyer – 09 April 2012

Al-Jazeera – Concern Mounts For Bahrain Hunger Striker – 09 April 2012

CNN – Bahrain Says Activist On Hunger Strike ‘Is Fine’ – 09 April 2012

The Guardian – Abdulhadi al-Khawaja’s Death Would Be A Stain On Bahrain – 09 April 2012

By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – On Monday, 9 April, the authorities notified six activists they resided in the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) illegally and detained them.  The authorities revoked the nationality of these activists for critical statements they made about the country’s leadership last year.

The activists’ lawyer Mohammed al-Roken reported the Interior Minister summoned the activists to the capital Abu Dhabi to inform them they resided in the country illegally.  The Minister then instructed them to sign a statement that forced them to obtain a new nationality within two weeks.

Daughter of activist Mohammed Abdel-Razzaq al-Siddiq reported, “My father called us…He refused to sign the declaration as now he is stateless, so he was detained along with the other five men.”  The authorities detained the six in a detention facility that caters to illegal immigrants.

Al-Roken describes the government’s act of stripping the men of their citizenship as unconstitutional.

Al-Siddiq believes the authorities targeted them for advocating for political change as part of the Reform and Social Guidance Association, an Islamic political organization linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.  He sought political reform by signing a petition calling for the UAE leadership to grant more powers to the country’s Federal National Council, an advisory body.

Although the UAE has a generous welfare system and is a lead oil exporter, the leadership has aggressively quashed political dissent to maintain control of their country.  Last year, for example, the authorities detained an economics professor, a well-known blogger, and three other political activists on anti-state charges of endangering national security, inciting protests, and insulting the government.  A judge sentenced the detainees to two to three years in jail.  The president released the activists the following day, but he did not officially drop the charges.

On 5 April, the authorities detained representatives of the National Democratic Institute (“NDI”), a US-sponsored democracy group, when they attempted to depart the country once the authorities closed their UAE office for licensing issues.  After questioning an American employee in detention, the authorities allowed the two Americans to leave the country.  However, the authorities did not permit an employee of Serbian nationality to depart.

Authorities closed the NDI office on 28 March before closing the offices of Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German pro-democracy group, on 29 March.  Polling group Gallup also recently closed its Abu Dhabi office.

Middle East researcher for Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) Samer Muscati commented, “It seems that the government is still frightened by the events transpiring in the Middle East and are trying to do what it takes to keep the Arab Spring from reaching its shore, regardless of how small that possibility might be.”

For further information, please see:

Al Arabiya News – UAE Detains Islamists Linked to Terror Funding – 10 Apr 2012

Gulf Daily News – UAE Activists Held – 10 Apr 2012

The Chicago Tribune – UAE Detains 6 Islamists Stripped Of Citizenship: Lawyer – 9 Apr 2012

The Kansas City Star – UAE Detains 6 Activists Critical Of Rulers – 9 Apr 2012

CNN – Details Emerge In UAE Closing Of Pro-Democracy Groups – 6 Apr 2012