A rose placed on the doorstep of their enemies, both arms outstretched above their heads and crouched on the ground whilst teargas, rubber bullets and sound grenades flood the area. A chopper circulates above the high mounted statue of a Pearl locating and targeting protesters with live ammunition whilst giving location information to troops on the ground dispersing activists all around the capital. These were the scenes encompassing the tiny Gulf State of Bahrain when government forces comprising of military troops sent in by the Gulf Cooperation Council violently cracked down on peaceful protesters who were demanding recognition of their basic human rights and freedoms. Peaceful protesters who gathered at the Pearl Roundabout were attacked on the streets, beaten to an inch of their lives and left in their spot unable to attain medical help as troops occupied the main hospital in the capital Manama.

The hospital was turned into a “torture house” explains one activist, describing how the sixth floor of the military occupied hospital was turned into a platform of abuse. Doctors and nurses were slandered, defamed and ill treated, as they were forces to witness themselves arrested and tortured behind closed doors for doing their jobs by treating wounded protesters. A military court which was set up during this time has been observed as being completely biased and unfair by sentencing many opposition figures to long term imprisonment including prominent human rights activist Abdulhadi Al Khawaja co-founder of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. Arrests have accelerated at a high pace in the nation, which has included the arrests of students, bloggers and activists.

Hopes of a democratic change seemed to evaporate as large-scale protesters were dissected and criminalised in the country forcing demonstrations to take place in individual villages nightly. These small-scaled protests have also subsequently resulted in suppression and attacks on protesters that attempt to make their voices heard. Zainab Al Khawaja daughter of the prominent activist Abdulhadi Al Khawaja described the approach taken by the people by stating: “We in Bahrain are not suicidal, we don't want to die, but if it’s the only way our children can be free then "Give me liberty or give me death".

Since the government crackdown began following the mass protests in February, the Bahraini government has committed a mass breach of international human rights doctrines and supervised the illegal killings of more than 35 protesters at the hands of both Bahraini and Saudi troops. Most recently comes the death of 16-year-old Ali Al Badah who the opposition has reported was run over by a police jeep in the process sandwiching him to a wall.

The mass counts of torture and inhumane treatment both in the public eye and behind closed doors have also sadly been neglected by international leaders as they continue to be the primary means of suppressing the peaceful movement of the opposition.

At most checkpoints that existed during the time the King announced temporary Martial Law, persons were intimidated, arbitrarily assaulted and battered at the hands of the military. Many of the victims that I have spoken to have reported that they were spat on, called "dogs" or threatened with violence or death as soon as their ID cards displayed the nature of their name. On one occasion a victim of abuse told me that him and 8 other boys from the small village of Bani Jamrah were taken by police to a graveyard, kicked, beaten and spat on whilst one of the officers called his partner and asked her to "listen to these dogs scream". Similar scenarios have been taking place throughout the villages in Bahrain.

A grand hatred towards the majority population is not displayed behind closed doors but in the public eye which the media is reluctant to shed light on. Instead they report that the purely democratic movement has been inspired by sectarian motives. Arab dictators have, for decades, justified their never-ending office terms by pointing a finger to neighbouring Islamist regimes and there is no difference in justification this time around in Bahrain.

With one day before the release of the much awaited investigation report conducted by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Enquiry, tensions have risen in the Gulf State. Many have questioned the independence of the report and have been unenthusiastic about the results of the investigations. Whether the report brings those responsible for the killings and torture to court is unknown, however, it is unlikely that protests will terminate. It is imperative that the report delivers independent and unprejudiced outcomes so as to ensure that integrity is conveyed to the people of Bahrain. A simple acknowledgement of the breaches would be ineffective, it must be met by action.

The US and the UK has demonstrated selective constraint and reluctance in condemning the violent crackdown. They have somewhat neglected their international humanitarian obligations and stuck to supporting the crackdown for the sole reason of preventing a misguided, unprecedented and unfounded threat. Sadly in our time, international leaders fear only their own interests which would drive them to witness people of all ages and genders humiliated, tortured and killed in their own back yard. For the Bahraini people this is the case, they would watch tearfully as other movements in neighbouring countries are supported while their own peaceful one was merely noticed and slandered "sectarian".

Ahmed Ali, HumanRights TV
22/11/11