Nabeel Rajab's Appeal Hearing Delayed, West Shuts Eyes

A Bahraini appeals court postponed Nabeel Rajab's hearing on Tuesday, perpetuating the criminalization of a leading human rights defender in the Middle East.

The ruling is hardly surprising in light of recent events. During his last appeal hearing on September 27th, the government's prosecution team introduced doctored video "evidence" of Rajab "instigating violent protests" that hadn't been shown at the trial. His inhumane treatment leading up to his trial was similarly unjust and the sham trial itself was clearly the product of a government takedown. Bahrain's appeals process then functions as a black hole for prisoners of conscience. One of Bahrain's foremost "public enemies," the monarchy is treating Rajab as such in the vain hope that he will eventually crack and stand down. King Hamad and royal circle are mistaken in this strategy though. The most they can do is keep him off the streets for as long as possible - three years at the moment. They can't even stop his Twitter feed.

Rajab’s next hearing is scheduled for November 8th.

While Bahrain's appeals process experiences natural delays like any other country, Tuesday's decision is typical of the monarchy's systematic campaign against Bahrain's human rights activists and revolutionary personalities. The appeals circuit has already struck down a high-profile group of political prisoners, including Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, and is bound to do the same to Rajab. Al-Khawaja's daughter, Zainab, is also imprisoned on 13 different charges; most deride King Hamad but all messages were sent through non-violent protests. All of these individuals have endured the monarchy's physical and mental abuse, so each new injustice cannot be separated from the whole.

Mohammed Al-Maskati, President of Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR), was also arrested on Tuesday after being ordered to report "on the charges of rioting and participating in an illegal gathering." He will be taken to the Public Prosecution Office tomorrow and accused of the same charges as Rajab. This is how the monarchy's scheme works: detain the opposition's leaders on the grounds that they are instigating Bahrain's violence. However their voices express the island's non-violent movement more clearly than any others. Those protesters who have chosen violence did so out of personal resolve, or else in reaction to the hostile and unjust treatment of Bahrain's pro-democracy movement. They have nowhere else to turn when the monarchy assaults them, refuses an honest dialogue with the opposition, then holds the latter responsible for not participating (all designed to stall for as long as possible).

No protester has been explicitly or implicitly ordered to commit, in the monarchy's words, "sabotage" and "terrorism." The most Rajab and the Khawajas have admitted to is a sympathetic understanding of Bahrain's pent-up anger. Al-Maskati's case is almost certainly tied to his presence at the UNHRC's 21st session, which Bahrain's monarchy dominated through sheer numbers and power. So complete is King Hamad's repression.

These developments follow another of his delusional speeches. Too obsessed with Iranian missile strikes and coups to concern himself, the King goes about his monarchial business as though Bahrain's 20-month uprising doesn't exist. Meanwhile government officials continue to "improve relations" with their U.S. counterparts. As Rajab was being taken back to his cell, Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa met with Lt-General Robert B. Nelle, CENTCOM's senior Marine commander, at the BDF Headquarters in Manama. This high-level meeting of delegations was attended by U.S. Ambassador Thomas Krajeski, who also met with Minister of Human Rights Affairs Dr. Salah bin Ali Abdulrahman on Tuesday.

Bahrain's Minister would "unveil a prospective visit to the USA where he will hold meetings with US officials, congressmen, human rights organizations and Media centers in order to give them an update on the latest developments in Bahrain, inform them about the kingdom's human rights achievements and discuss with them exchange of expertise and experiences."

The U.S. government issued no response to Rajab's latest judicial harassment and has remained publicly silent since his July 12th arrest.

"Bahrain Understands Need For Futher Reforms"

This unvarnished piece of lobbyist propaganda, organized by Bahraini Ambassador Houda Ezra Nonoo and published by The Hill, demonstrates the bland, repetitive and disconnected nature of Prince Salam's script:

On Wednesday, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission will hold a hearing to assess Bahrain’s progress in implementing the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) Report. Despite what some critics continue to allege, the Government of Bahrain has made tangible, measurable, and verifiable progress in enacting reform in response to the events of February and March 2011. These reforms were not simply made to quiet Bahrain’s critics. Rather, they are a natural extension of a pluralistic, religiously tolerant society that has undergone constant reform over the past 11 years.

The decision by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to establish an Independent Commission offered Bahrain an unprecedented opportunity to learn the truth about a painful time in our nation’s history. This forward-thinking move also provided a roadmap to ensure such events would not take place again.

Over the past eight months, Bahrain’s government has worked diligently to enact reforms in line with the Commission’s suggestions. To date, Bahrain has fully implemented 18 of the Report’s 26 recommendations. Work on seven of them has begun and they are in various stages of implementation. One is not yet applicable. The government’s actions resulted in meaningful steps toward reform that has positively impacted the situation on the ground.

Bahrain has begun the process of rebuilding religious sites demolished during the unrest. So far, five sites are nearing completion, eight sites have been prepared for work, and an additional nine sites have been designated for future construction.

With the help of former Miami-Dade Police Chief John Timoney, Bahrain has instituted a new police code of conduct, installed security cameras in all detention centers, begun a comprehensive retraining effort for Bahraini police officers and is working to expand the diversity of the police force.

Substantial progress has been made to reinstate those Bahrainis who lost their jobs during the unrest. To date, most government employees and 92 percent of private sector workers – excepting those charged with serious crimes – have returned to work at a level commensurate with the position they held before the unrest.

The Special Investigations Unit has investigated over 122 cases of misconduct. These investigations led to charges against 21 different police officers, including a lieutenant-colonel. These officers were charged with a variety of crimes up to and including murder.

Although a full accounting of the Bahrain’s response to the BICI report would take much more time and space, the above mentioned actions demonstrate the seriousness with which the government has taken its commitments. For a full accounting, I encourage you to visit my blog.

The progress made over the past eight months provides a genuine opportunity to re-engage with the opposition in a comprehensive, inclusive, multi-lateral dialogue without preconditions aimed at resolving our political differences. Bahrain’s government has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment – through His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s dialogue initiative during the unrest, the comprehensive National Dialogue held in July 2011, and the National Commission appointed following the release of the BICI report – to resolve matters peacefully and at the negotiating table. The opposition failed to take advantage of each opportunity.

Despite this intransigence, the government has not lost sight of the need for political reform.  A variety of constitutional amendments expanded the powers of elected parliament to reject the government and its program, and updates to our freedom of expression law provide greater protection for those who engage in peaceful demonstrations. We have more to do, but progress is being made.

Bahrain has always been a politically progressive and religiously tolerant society. American missionaries established the first church in the Arabian Gulf in 1893. Today, standing next to thousands of mosques, Bahrain is home to 19 churches, a synagogue and countless Sikh and Hindu temples. Indeed, my story – that of a Jewish woman who rose on her merits to the top of Bahrain’s civil society – has been made possible by a country committed to religious pluralism and the freedom of opportunity. Continuing down a path toward greater inclusion of all genders and faiths must continue, because not doing so would be un-Bahraini.

Through its actions over the past eight months, the government of Bahrain has demonstrated its commitment to implementing the recommendations contained in the BICI report. The progress is measurable, verifiable, and significant. Bahrain welcomes the interest of our friends in Washington who are eager to share our successes and let us know when we can do more. Together, we can continue to shape the next chapter in the historic relationship between our two countries. 

The American PR Firm Helping Out Bahrain's Brutal Monarchy

By ProPublica's Justin Elliott, published in The Atlantic:

Earlier this month, a group of three young Bahrainis arrived in Washington to talk about reform in the small Persian Gulf nation, which has been rocked by Arab Spring protests for the last year. The delegation, including an NGO worker and a tech entrepreneur, both Western-educated, represented "the leading voice for change and reform" in Bahrain, as an email message from one of the group's representatives put it.

But these weren't leaders of the protest movement that has challenged the country's ruling Sunni monarchy. They were members of a "youth delegation" put together by a top American public relations firm, Qorvis, which has been working with Bahrain to shore up the country's image in the United States.

The youth delegation's modestly pro-reform message was mixed with sharp criticism of the opposition in Bahrain and complaints about negative media coverage in the U.S.

Last year, in the early weeks of Bahrain's violent crackdown on the largely Shia opposition protests, the minister of foreign affairs inked a contract with Qorvis to provide public-relations services for $40,000 per month, plus expenses. One of the largest PR and lobbying firms in Washington, Qorvis employs a number of former top Capitol Hill staffers and also works for Bahrain's close ally, Saudi Arabia. The firm's work for Bahrain came under scrutiny last year when it defended the government's raid last year on a Doctors Without Borders office in Bahrain. Also in 2011, a Qorvis official wrote pro-regime columns in The Huffington Post without revealing his affiliation with Qorvis.

Bahrain is an important American ally in the gulf, and its capital Manama is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. An independent commission found late last year that the government had systematically tortured detainees and used excessive force to put down the protests. While the unrest has fallen from the headlines, Bahrain continues to suppress protests, sometimes violently. And while Bahrain has promised reforms, Human Rights Watch today released a report finding "egregious violations of fair trial rights" in cases brought against opposition activists.

The Obama administration has largely stood by Bahrain, offering muted criticism while continuing to sell arms to the government, though one weapons package remains on hold.

To counter negative press, Bahrain has made a major public-relations push in the U.S., employing Qorvis and several other firms. The youth delegation dispatched to Washington, on the anniversary of the start of the protests, is the latest part of that effort.

In meetings and public appearances, the three-member Qorvis delegation has criticized opposition protesters as violent agitators...