By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia is a Sunni ran state, where ten-to-fifteen percent of its Shia population are systematically discriminated against by receiving unequal treatment with regards to justice and religious freedom, and from a lack of access to public employment and education. Shia cleric Ayatollah Nimr al-Nimr sought to put an end to this unfair treatment with his words and has been met with violence, imprisonment, and the possibility of crucifixion.

Al-Nimr was shot in the leg four times while he was being detained by Saudi authorities. Three of the bullets have been removed from the shattered bone of his leg, but one still remains. Al-Nimr has not received regular medical care or physical therapy regarding his leg injury while being held at the Security Forces Prison Hospital. Additionally, requests for a second opinion on his health have been denied.

The official stance from the Saudi authorities has been that al-Nimr resisted arrest by ramming a security forces’ vehicle and inciting a shoot-off. Al-Nimr was not known by his family to own a gun, and has consistently preached throughout time his disdain for guns and a need for “the weapon of the word.”

Once apprehended, al-Nimr remained detained for eight months before being charged with anything. The Rasid news of Saudi Arabia has reported that al-Nimr will face charges of “inciting to infringe on property of the state,” “interference in the affairs of a sister nation,” and “incitement to commit terrorism crimes [in the sister nation],” presumably referring to statements he made criticizing Bahrain. The trial court is also considering charges of “instigating riots,” “heightening sectarian strife,” “destabilizing the security of the state and calling on sons of the country to participate,” and “storing materials on the internet that harm public order and religious values.”

It has only been recently that the courts have allowed al-Nimr’s lawyer and brother to attend his trials. As of today, the court is still refusing to assess whether al-Nimr’s ten month continued detention has been appropriate. Al-Nimr has been held in a four-by-four meter windowless solitary isolation cell. Four the first four months of his detention he was denied any visitation, however, now he has been allowed an hour visit by immediate family once every two weeks.

The prosecutors are looking to throw the whole book at al-Nimr, and a heavy book at that. The sentence they are seeking for al-Nimr is that of crucifixion. The treatment of al-Nimr has led to Shia protests, which has in turn led to the shooting of protesters by security forces.

Don’t be startled if the hanging of al-Nimr’s body from a pole leads to more demonstrations and subsequent killings of demonstrators to “maintain order.”

For further information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – Saudi Arabia: Cleric who Backed Protests on Trial for his Life – 11 May 2013

Al-Monitor – Saudi Arabia Clamps Down on Dissent – 3 May 2013

Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Saudi Shia Cleric Ayatollah Nimr Appears Before a Saudi Judge – 1 May 2013

Al Jazeera – Cleric Faces Possible Crucifixion in Saudi Arabia – 30 April 2013

By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrian – Bahraini human rights blogger and free speech activist, Ali Abdulemam, who had gone missing for two years has finally resurfaced in the UK. He will reunite with his wife and daughters who he has not seen or spoke to since his escape from Bahrain, and is set to speak next week at the Oslo Freedom Forum.

Since the inception of pro-democratic demonstrations in Bahrain in 2011, the Bahraini government has sought to control the media. The media paints a picture of human rights activists as criminals attempting to subvert the state. The 2002 Press Law allows the state to incarcerate journalists who are found to have criticize the religion of Islam, the king, or who have been deemed to have threatened national security.

Back in March 2011, Abdulemam’s home was raided by security forces, however, Abdulemam was not home and has not been home since. He was able to escape Bahrain while being hidden in a secret compartment of a car and was brought to Saudi Arabia , Kuwait, and Iraq before finding his way to the UK.

While Abdulemam was missing he was tried in absentia and found guilty by a a military court for “plotting a coup.” He was then given a fifteen year sentence.

Abdulemam’s activist activity dates back to at least 1998 when he created the web blog, Bahrain Online, for individuals to have a place to discuss the government. Back then, Abdulemam was using a psyuedonym. He eventually began using his real name because he wanted people to know that a real person was behind the posts.

Once his name was known, it was not long until him and other Bahrain Online bloggers were arrested on charges of inciting hatred against the regime and publishing false information. He was only held for seventeen days back in 2005 when he was released. The detention did not deter Abdulemam, but inspired him with purpose.

Abdulemam was not arrested again until 2010 when he and twenty-two other rights activists were detained and accused with having ties to a London-basd terror network whose aim was to bring down the state. Before he was tried for those allegations, he was given no notice of the charges against him and was not permitted to have a lawyer.

As a result, he was detained for another five and a half months before being released. During those months, Abdulemam claimed that he was beaten, insulted, and made to sign false confessions.

As soon as Abdulemam was released, he joined the protest movement that was going on at Manama’s Pearl Roundabout. Martial law was invoked to deal with the demonstrations, and Abdulemam fled the country before he could be detained again.

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Missing Bahraini Blogger Surfaces in London – 10 May 2013

Atlantic – Escape From Bahrain: Ali Abdulemam is Free – 10 May 2013

Guardian – Bahrain Online Founder Ali Abdulemam Breaks Silence After Escape to UK – 10 May 2013

Voice of Bahrain – The 10 Worst Countries for Journalists – 6 May 2013