Bahrain: National Security threatens an activist and NGO member
The officer said that a rally will be shot by live bullets
Manama, June 27, 2007
Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) is highly concerned by the situation of activist, Naji Ali Fateel, 33, from Bani Jamra. Security forces summoned him and threatened him in an attempt to stop his civil and voluntary activities. Naji is an activist at The Unemployed and Low-Paid Committee (ULPC) and a supporter of BYSHR. It is noteworthy that Naji has previously suffered physical and verbal attacks by security forces during his participation in a peaceful event of ULPC. He was interrogated twice in one year.
Bahrain: National Security threatens an activist and NGO member
The officer said that a rally will be shot by live bullets
Manama, June 27, 2007
Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) is highly concerned by the situation of activist, Naji Ali Fateel, 33, from Bani Jamra. Security forces summoned him and threatened him in an attempt to stop his civil and voluntary activities. Naji is an activist at The Unemployed and Low-Paid Committee (ULPC) and a supporter of BYSHR. It is noteworthy that Naji has previously suffered physical and verbal attacks by security forces during his participation in a peaceful event of ULPC. He was interrogated twice in one year.
Activist Naji told BYSHR: “Al-Hora Police Station phoned me at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday June 27, 2007 and asked me to be present at the station for a serious matter. I objected on the way of summoning me and I asked them to send me an official notification from the police station saying that a security bureau wants me. They, then, said they will tell the officer with this.”
“At 9:00 a.m., my wife phoned me to say that the police station sent me a notification asking me to go to the station as soon as possible. Few minutes after my wife’s call, Al-Jora Police Station phoned me again to see my reaction after having the official notification. I told them that I will come after having the permission of my boss to leave work. However, the man who was talking to me on the phone said: “that who comes by his own free well will be set free and safe, while that who comes by force his bones will be fractionated.” I objected on his threatening tone and words, but I told him that I will attend anyway,” Naji added.
Naji told BYSHR that he met other three ULPC activists at the police station. They were talking about the call for interrogation and said that is based on ULPC plans to launch a rally on Friday June 29, 2007.
“Few minutes after interrogating my three colleagues, the security man asked me to wait. 15 minutes later, my colleagues came back and told me that I am wanted in a separate case sponsored by the National Security Bureau. Once they leaved, the National Security Bureau called for me and I consequently stepped into a room where two men with civil clothes were sitting there,” Naji said.
Naji asserted to BYSHR that after getting into the room, the two men there insulted him verbally, addressed several accusations to him, and threatened to punish him severely in the future if he did not stop his activism in ULPC.
“Few minutes later, another man in civil clothes got into the room. Apparently, he is the responsible officer in National Security Bureau. He also kept on threatening me, saying, “We in National Security do not work with security men in police stations. National Security is a higher bureau and we can attack the rally even if it is licensed by security men.” The national security officer also confirmed the statements of Dr. Abdul Jalil Al-Sanquis, member of Haq movement that June 30 rally will be suppressed by all possible means and that Fighting Riot Forces (FRF) will use live bullets against participants,” Naji added.
Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights asserts that the Ministry of Interior is still applying state security method. The ministry is unable to rectify its situation with the reform movement desired by citizens in Bahrain. BYSHR call upon international organizations to interfere and protect civil society activists, particularly activist Naji who told BYSHR that he will continue his peaceful civil activities.