Democratic Palestine : 19 (ص 24)

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Democratic Palestine : 19 (ص 24)

المحتوى

Human Rights Violations in Bahrain
On August 26th, the following statement was issued jointly by the
Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Bahrain, and the
Committee for the Defense of Political Detainees in Bahrain.
Since Bahrain’s independence on
August 14, 1971, the government has
systematically violated human rights as
they are defined in the International
Declaration of Human Rights and the
Constitution of the State of Bahrain,
adopted by the Constituent Assembly
and the government on June 9, 1973.
As the people of Bahrain struggled for
exercising their legitimate rights,
democracy, real independence, justice
and equality among citizens, they suf-
fered repression from the security and
intelligence apparatus which is directed
by British officers - Lt. Col. Bell and
Col. Henderson. In addition, there are
a number of mercenaries of different
nationalities who practice torture and
terror against the people as a means of
making a living.
Bahrain has witnessed waves of
repression and arrest campaigns, where
thousands of patriots of different social
strata, males and females, were jailed.
Many of them were exposed to physical
and psychological torture; some were
martyred under torture, while others
suffered lasting physical and mental
disabilities.
The situation of prisoners in Bahrain
is miserable. Commonplace pheno-
mena include: solitary confinement of
long duration, denial of contact with
the outside world, lack of minimal
sanitary conditions, absence of super-
vision by any independent judicial .or
health authority. Detainees are syste-
matically exposed to humiliation and
torture, even after being sentenced.
In addition, the government of Bah-
rain resorts to other repressive mea-
sures which contradict human rights.
and the rights of Bahraini citizens.
These include: stripping persons of
their citizenship, deportation, deprival
of employment and means of liveli-
hood, and prohibition of return to the
homeland. The violation of human
rights and the practice of repression,
arrest and torture, are the Bahraini
government’s official policy, as has
been verified by Arab and international
human rights committees.
The government’s repressive policy
has accelerated. Detainees, including
many women, of different ages and
backgrounds, were exposed to barbaric
physical and psychological torture,
including sexual assault which grossly
contravenes religious and human
values. This policy incites the feelings
of our people who possess militant
traditions. It motivates their determi-
nation to safeguard their religious and
national unity, led by religious and
patriotic forces and personalities. It
will motivate our people to confront the
regime’s terror, until securing dignity
for the ordinary citizen and freedom
for our country.
The Committee for the Defense of
Human Rights in Bahrain, and the
Committee for the Defense of Political
Detainees in Bahrain, express their
gratitude for the solidarity rendered by
different forces and personalities. At
the same time, the two committees
appeal to all political, religious and
social forces, and to Arab and interna-
tional organizations concerned with
defending human rights, peace and
democracy, to increase their solidarity
in order to stop the terror sweeping our
country, and save the lives and dignity
of our citizens. @
International Terrorism
Concepts and Roots
The highest rate of terrorism
accompanied the emergence of the
capitalist mode of production. The new
relations of production promoted by
the bourgeoisie would not have been
imposed in Europe without violence
and terrorism against the then powerful
feudal authority. The bourgeoisie
intentionally forgot its past history,
and now contends that the revolution-
ary violence practiced by the proleta-
riat and the national liberation move-
22
legitimate
threatens
ments, to achieve their
rights, is terrorism that
international peace.
«They accuse us of terrorism...
However, the British bourgeoisie forgot
1845, while the French bourgeoisie
completely ignored the year 1797...
Terrorism was considered just and
legitimate when they practiced it
against the feudalists, while terrorism
became a barbaric and criminal act
when the poor workers and peasants
dared to use it against their enemy, the
bourgeoisie. »()
STATE TERRORISM
With the spread of colonialism, and
capitalism’s development into imperia-
lism, the bourgeoisie imposed its
hegemony over the peoples and
resources of the world through violence
against the domestic working class and
even more massively against the people
of the three continents. The pheno-
menon of state terrorism arose as a

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Democratic Palestine : 19

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