Petition to HM the King to Open an Investigation in Bandargate Scandal

From Bahrain Human Rights Centre site:

Regarding the Claimed Sectarian Plan, the Secret Organization that is Running it, and the Role of the Royal Court and Sectarian Political Groups in Setting and Accomplishing that Plan

(Sent on 13 October 2006)

His Majesty Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain,

We are addressing your Majesty to express the enormity of our shock regarding the dangerous sectarian plan and the existence of a secret organization that is running it, as was revealed by a report published by Dr. Salah Al Bandar, the Strategic Planning’s Chancellor at the Council of Ministers Affairs.

The significance of this case lies in the direct involvement of a high government official in this plan and in heading the secret organization that is operating it. This official is the Minister of State for the Affairs of Council of Ministers Sheikh Ahmad bin Atiyat Allah Al Khalifa. The same minister heads one of the most crucial departments in the country which is the Central Department of Information, as well as being the direct supervisor of the Civil Services Council which controls the country’s public sector and the fate of approximately 40 thousand employees. In addition, he occupies a position that is related to the most critical side of the political process which is the executive committee that supervises the elections. That is during a period of wide suspicions and worries of counterfeiting the desires of the participants in the coming elections.

As your majesty knows… a significant amount of documented information came in the 240 pages of payments that were estimated to be more than 2 million B.D were given to government employees, personalities in the local newspapers, members of the Council of Representative, parliament candidates, civil society associations, lawyers, bank employees, a Jordanian investigation team (consisting of 4 officers with a lieutenant colonel rank and an officer with a major rank) and a member of the Shura council.

Five of the main people in this secret organization work in the government and are paid inducements that are estimated to be 5000 B.D a month. These five leaders are in charge of financing election campaigns, supporting one of the new-established daily local newspapers with a sum of 100 thousand B.D, supporting the program of the sectarian transmission, intelligently supervising political activities, leading an Internet campaign to rouse sectarianism as well as distributing monthly inducements to a number of people.

The report also named four civil society associations involved in this plan (the Jurists’ Society, the “Bahrain First” Society, the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society, the Bahrain Political Society). A sum of 3000 B.D was set aside for a member of the current Council of Representatives from one of the Islamic blocs, 2000 B.D for one of the known parliament candidates and 3000 B.D for the society’s building.

Hence, the most crucial amongst the information that was revealed by the report is that which suggests an essential role of high officials in the Royal Court in vital parts of this plan. The secret plan included, in its most important articles, the manipulation of the demographic makeup of the country, by granting citizenship selectively, with the pretext of creating a sectarian balance and with the aim of weakening a certain sect of the society. And this is what has been going on; especially in the last few years and which has been raising increasing opposition and protest. While, we know that the regular naturalization decisions are not issued without the approval of the Royal Court, and the selective naturalization is not carried out without using the extraordinary authority which the law grants to your Majesty.

On the other hand, the information part of the sectarian plan appears in the Al Watan newspaper, which persisted in rising sectarian sedition. Al Watan is supervised and partially funded by the Under Secretary Assistant in the office of the Chief Director of the Royal Court. The report stated that the mentioned Under Secretary Assistant is related to the naturalization committee in the Royal Court. In addition, the information consultant of the Chief Director of the Royal Court is the supervisor of the information group in the secret organization, as well as being in charge of the affairs of the Chief Editor of the Al Watan newspaper.

The report also states the name of a an Egyptian journalist who works in the Royal Court at same time as being the field supervisor of the “Egyptian” information group which was formed by the secret organization, and a center was established for its activities. The “Egyptian” information group are 8 people who work for the Al Watan newspaper, the Ministry of Information, the Central Department of Information and for the “Centre of Public Opinion” which was also established by the same secret organization.

Furthermore, regarding the lands that were granted to participants in that dangerous secret organization, it is a regulation that they could not be granted without the Royal Court’s approval. As an example of these lands is the land in Al Seef district and whose price is estimated to be more than half a million B.D. which is registered under the name of the president of “Bahrain Awallan Society”, which was established as apart of the same plan.

Thus, the important question still lies without an answer: Who is putting all these large sums of money in the Kuwaiti Bayt-Al-Tamweel account, which is transferred to an account at the Al-Shamel Bahraini Bank, through which the plan and the secret organization is funded and the wages and bonuses are paid to executive officials? It is worth mentioning that Sheikh Ahmad bin Atyat-Allah, the minister accused of leading the secret organization, is the brother of Sheikh Mohammed bin Atyat-Allah Al Khalifa, the chief director of the Royal Court.

What makes the report create a lot of uproar is that the 5 main persons in the secret organization, and who are influential in the government and in the Royal Counrt, are amongst the persons who are adherent to the Islamic Brotherhood and Salafi organizations which gives the case a dangerous political and sectarian characteristic. According to the report, the right hand of the leader of the secret organization, who is the manager of the statistics department in the Central Department of Information and a member in the executive committee of the elections, does not hide his sympathy for the Al Eslah society and its political wing the Islamic Menbar.

As to the left hand of the leader of the secret organization, who is the General President of the Information Technology and the Vice-President of the Executive Committee of the elections, is known to be related to the same society. The report gives documented information that this person is directly responsible for the message campaign which spread widely few months ago in order to ruin the reputation of recognized religious men, activists, politicians, oppositions and human rights defenders. Yet, the third person who is in charge of the secret organization, who is the chancellor for information affairs of the chief director of the Royal Cour, is the former chief editor of Al Elslah (brotherhood) magazine.

While the fourth person in charge of the group, who is an employee in the Central Department of Information, is fully engaged in the activities of the Islamic Education Society as a manager of its projects and social affairs and it is supplementary to the Islamic Asalah Society (Salafist). He is incharge in the secret organization of the group that incites the Sunni sect against the Shi’a sect. Finally, the fifth person in charge in the network, the Under-Secretary of the Chief Director of the Royal Court, who supervises the project of the Al Watan newspaper, is strongly related to the Salafi movements in Bahrain and in the Arab Gulf states.

What rises great concerns is that the report, which is the source of the aforementioned information, had reached your Majesty and the prime minister since the beginning of the September 2006, and instead of starting a neutral interrogation in its contents and publicly questioning the persons involved and bringing them to justice, harsh measures were taken against the government chancellor who leaked the dangerous information by confiscating documents and information he had and deporting him instantly from the country on September 13th 2006.

We as citizens of this country, who belong to various classes, political drifts and sects, address this letter to your majesty appealing to you to give a public speech to the common citizens to answer all those dangerous queries and to announce what will be done in regards to that sectarian plan and secret organization that is implementing it. We fear that keeping quiet about that case and the people involved in it will destroy what is left of trust between the regime and the citizens and it will create hateful sectarian discord, and this is something that no loyal citizen of this country would wish for.

Yours Sincerely,

Signatories:

1. Abdul-Hadi Marhoon - First Vice-President of the Representative Council
2. Ali Jassim Rabi’a - A former parliamentarian - Board member of ‘Haq Movement’
3. Zahraa Mohammed Muradi (Ms.) - Political activist
4. Layla Khalil Dishti (Ms.) - Human rights activist
5. Sheikh Isa Al-Jawdar - Board member of ‘Haq Movement’
6. Jalal Fairouz - Board member - Alwefaq National Islamic Society
7. Abdul-Nabi Salman - Member of the House of Representatives
8. Hasan Ali Hasan Mushemea - Secretary-general of ‘Haq Movement’
9. Jassim Hasan Abdul-Aal - Member of the House of Representatives
10. Jawad Firouz Ghlum Firouz - Member of the Northern Municipality Council
11. Abdul-Hadi Abdula Al-Khawaja - President- Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
12. Abdul-Jalil Al-Sangais - Board member of ‘Haq Movement’
13. Abdul-Aziz Hasan Abul - Political activist- Head of Constitution Coalition
14. Ghada Yousif Jamsheer (Ms.) - President of the ‘Women Petition Committee’
15. Mohammed Abdul-Nabi Al-Masqati - President of the ‘Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights’
16. Nabeel Rajab - Vice-President of the ‘Bahrain Centre for Human Rights’
17. Ahmad Sultan - Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
18. Khalid Shehab - Independent Activist
19. Mohammed Hajji Al-Shehabi - The Brotherhood National Society
20. Redhwan Al-Mousawi - Board member - ‘Islamic Action Society’
21. Jawad Al-Asfoor - The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
22. Abbass Ahmad Al-Bahari - The Democratic Progressive Forum Society
23. Abbass Busafwan - Alwefaq National Islamic Society
24. Abdul-Amir Al-Laith - Alwefaq National Islamic Society
25. Abdul-Nabi Al-Ukri - Bahrain Human Rights Society
26. Ebrahim Kamal-Eddeen - National Democratic Action Society (Waad)
27. Abdul-Rahman Mohammed Al-Naimi - National Democratic Action Society (Waad)
28. Sheikh Hamza Ali Jassim - Alwefaq National Islamic Society
29. Ali Nasser Al-Ghanami - Alwefaq National Islamic Society
30. Jassim Abdullah Ashoor - Independent Activist
31. Mohammed Ahmad - Independent Activist
32. Ahmad Al-jad - Independent Activist
33. Ali Saleh Abdulla - Independent Activist
34. Mahmood Ebrahim - Alwefaq National Islamic Society
35. Haytham Al-Shehabi - Independent Activist
36. Sayed-Hadi Jawad Al-Aali - Board member of ‘Haq Movement’
37. Sonya Taher (Ms.) - Head of the ‘Deprived of the Citizenship’ Committee
38. Sayed-Jafar Sayed-Kadhem Al-Alawi - President of the ‘Islamic Resala Society’
39. Abdulla Mohammed Janahi - Vice-President of the central committee in the National Democratic Action Society
40. Sanad Mohammed Sanad - Member of the Consultative Panel of the National Democratic Forum Society
41. Hasan Al-Aali - The National Democratic Forum Society
42. Mahmood Hmaidan - The National Democratic Forum Society
43. Abdul-Jalil Al-Nuaimi - The Democratic Progressive Forum Society
44. Hasan Ali Ismaeel - The Democratic Progressive Forum Society
45. Hafedh Ali Mohammed - National Democratic Action Society (Waad)
46. Nawal Zubari (Ms.) - National Democratic Action Society (Waad)
47. Fawzia Zenal (Ms.) - Transparency Society
48. Najeeba Ahmad (Ms.) - National Democratic Action Society (Waad)
49. Jafar Yousif Mohammed - National Democratic Action Society (Waad)
50. Mohammed Al-Ahmad - Journalist
51. Batool Al-Sayyed (Ms.) - Journalist
52. Nada Al-Wadi (Ms.) - Reporter
53. Malek Abdulla - Journalist
54. Ismael Mohammed Ali - Independent Activist
55. Mohammed Hasan Mohammed Jawad - Alwefaq National Islamic Society
56. Yousif Al-Muharaqi - Independent Activist
57. Amir Al-Shakhouri - The Democratic Progressive Forum Society
58. Hajji Ebrahim Buhajji - Independent Activist
59. Maki Mahdi Ayad - The Democratic Progressive Forum Society
60. Abd Al-Aziz Ebrahim Fakhroo - National Democratic Action Society (Waad)
61. Hasan Ahmad Mahmood - Independent Activist
62. Ja’far Ebrahim Al-Wedaee - The Democratic Progressive Forum Society
63. Mohammed Kadhem Abdul-Hussain Al-Shehabi - Columnist - political activist
64. Hasan bin Hamad Al-Hadad - Human rights activist
65. Hussaain Mohammed Hasan Jawad - Vice-President -‘Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights’
66. Abd Al-Kareem Mohsen - Political activist
67. Ahmad Amr-Allah Fath-Allah - Shura Council-Alwefaq National Islamic Society
68. Ali Salem Al-Orayyedh - Head of Legal Committee- Public Liberties Society
69. Nasser Mulla Hasan Zain - Journalist
70. Jalal Abdul-Wahab Al- Orayyedh - Artist
71. Fawzia Rabia (Ms.) - Head of “Partenership to Compat Violance Against Women”
72. Abdul-Rahman Mohammed Khalifa - Physician
73. Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahlawi - Physician
74. Abdulla Al-Durazi - Vice Secretary-General – Bahrain Society for Human Rights
75. Sayed-Adnan Jalal Ahmad - Bahrain Society for Human Rights
76. Resala Salman Ali (Ms.) - Member in the ‘Public Liberties Society’
77. Rasha Ali Al- Kooheji - Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights
78. Mohammed Jafar Hasan Al-Mutawa - Lawyer- Bahrain Society for Human Rights
79. Abdulla Rashed Mutaiwea - Public relations employee
80. Khalil Ahmad - Independent Activist
81. Mohammed Jassim Isa Al-Durazi - Engineer- Independent Activist
82. Jafar Saad Hasan - Businessman
83. Adnan Ebrahim Maaraj - Retired employee
84. Ramla Jawad - Human Rights activist
85. Sayed-Hussain Hashem Ahmed - Trade-unionist
86. Zaynab Abdunabi Hassan Jassim - Journalist
87. Muhsen Al-Muqdad - The Committee for Victims of Torture
88. Abdul-Ghani Khanger - The Committee for Victims of Torture
89. Fatma Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja - Human rights activist
90. Sabika Ali Abdula Al-Bin-ali - Women Petition Committee
91. Khulood Abdulla Jamsheer - Women Petition Committee
92. Suaad Fath-Allah Mohammed Ahmad - Women Petition Committee
93. Salwa Buchiri - Women Petition Committee
94. Elham Al-Ansari - Activist
95. Maheen Ahmad Nadhar Mohammed - Women Petition Committee
96. Mohammed Abbas Al-Shaikh - Member of the House of Representatives
97. Abbas Abdul Azeez Nasser - Haq Movement
98. Zaynab Al-Durazi - National Democratic Action Society (Waad)
99. Shaikh Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad - Clergyman
100. Shaikh Mirza Al-Mahroos - Clergyman
101. Shaikh Hani Al-Muqdad – Clergyman

What is Bandargate?

Because a lot of people have already spared their time and energy translating the Bandargate document, I will here just cut and paste it from the Bahrain Human Rights Centre website, which is blocked by the authorities in Bahrain for exposing the Bandargate document.

BCHR: "Al Bander-Gate": A Political Scandal In Bahrain

Maintaining Sectarian Division and Penetrating NGO’s

The Al Bander report: what it says and what it means

By Zara Al Sitari, Bahrain Center for Human Rights- September 2006

A secret web lead by a high government official, who is a member of the royal family, has been operating in Bahrain with an aim to manipulate the results of coming elections, maintain sectarian distrust and division, and to ensure that Bahrain's Shias remain oppressed and disenfranchised, according to Dr. Salah Al Bandar, strategic planning’s chancellor at the Council of Ministers Affairs. As a result of leaking the information, Dr Al Bander was deported to the United Kingdom on September 13th as he is a British citizen.

The 216-page report, which was distributed by the Gulf Centre for Democratic Development (GCDD), contains almost 200 pages of cheques, receipts, letters, bank statements and accounts sheets to support this claim.

The secret web works through a media group, an electronic group, an intelligence team, a newspaper, a Shia to Sunni conversion programme, and civil societies to carry out these activities, the report says.

The total cost of these activities (so far) is said to be more than BD 1 million, and the main financier is named as Civil Informatics Organization (CIO) head Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatalla Al Khalifa , founder of the higher committee for elections.

It seems that the secret organization is established and has built its strategies based on the analysis and recommendations of a confidential study written in September 1st, 2005 entitled: “A Proposal to Promote the General Situation of the Sunni Sect in Bahrain”. The study, which is published in the leaked report- is reportedly written by an Iraqi Academic, Dr. Nezar Alani, who is now heading the Ettehad University in the United Arab Emirates. The leaked documents show that Dr. Alani had received an amount of BD3000.

How the web works:

Shaikh Ahmed has five main operators working underneath him, who he pays from his personal bank account at Kuwait Finance House, the report says.

Main Operator 1: Dr Raed Shams

Shaikh Ahmed's "right hand man" in running the organization is said to be CIO statistics directorate head and member of the elections committee Dr Raed Mohammed Abdulla Shams. Dr Shams has well-known connections to the Sunni Islamist Al Eslah Society and its political wing, Al Menbar.

He is said to be paid BD 1,200 per month for supervising the Jordanian intelligence cell and liaising with members of Bahraini NGOs who are allegedly paid to act on the organizations' behalf. The Jordanian intelligence cell was supplied with an office in Bahrain's diplomatic area and collectively paid more than BD 5,000 per month to monitor political developments in Bahrain, with particular attention to the Shia, the report alleges.

• A payment authorization slip included in the report allegedly shows that Shaikh Ahmed paid Dr Shams a BD 1,578 installment towards "residence costs for the Jordanians".
• The payment slip is matched with a BD 3,578 bill for room charges and meals at the Hilton hotel.
• Receipts in the report allegedly signed by a Lieutenant Colonel Amr Al Raddad, purport to show the payment of BD 6,784 in January this year, and BD 6,384 in February this year, in salaries for the four members of the intelligence team.

The four NGOs shown to be on the organization's payroll are the Jurists' Society, the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society, the Bahrain First Society and the Bahrain Political Society. The report contains correspondence allegedly showing Jurists' Society member, Al Watan newspaper columnist, and lawyer Youseff Al Hashemi requesting BD 2,643 for the society's expenses. It also contains a number of receipts which allegedly show Mr Al Hashemi receiving BD 1,000 in incentives.

• Payment authorization slips signed by Shaikh Ahmed and Dr Shams allegedly show the following payments to the society: BD 1,132 on October 21 2005 for electricity bills and books, and BD 5,500 on December 11 2005 for nine months' rent.
• The December payment authorization slip is also shown to be signed by a man named as the organization's banker at Kuwait Finance House, Hamad Ahmed Al-Muhaiza.
• Receipts also allegedly show Shura Council member and Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society member Faisal Fulad, Bahrain First society member Mohammed Al Maran, and Bahrain Political Society member Jaber Al Swaidy receiving BD 500 each for 'incentives', in January, February and March this year.
• A receipt allegedly signed by Mr Al Swaidy appears to show him receiving a payment which will give BD 3,000 to MP Jassim Al Saeedi, BD 2,000 to parliamentary candidate Jamal Dawood Salman and BD 3,000 towards the society's building.
• A letter included in the report allegedly shows Mr Salman, a candidate in the Northern constituency number eight, requesting the "head of electoral campaigns" (who is not named) for BD 1,200 to pay for his campaign tent and furnishings.
• The BD 1,200 payment is listed in a breakdown of the organization's expenditure, alongside BD 1,000 in "financial assistance" for a football game and cultural event, purportedly organized by Mr Salman as part of his campaign.

Others electoral candidates allegedly on the organization's payroll are said to be Khamis Al Rumaihi, Salah Al Jalahma and Dr Salah Ali. The report also contains a receipt for BD 10,000 allegedly signed on August 25 by an individual named Adnan Mohammed Abdulrahman Bucheeri, who it describes as being in charge of financing candidates.

Main operator 2: Mohammed Al Qaed

Shaikh Ahmed's "left hand man" is said to be CIO IT directorate manager, electronic voting supervisor and higher elections committee head Mohammed Ali Al Qaed.

Mr Al Qaed also sits on the elections committee and has well-known connections with the islamists Al Menbar and Al Eslah groups.

He is paid BD 1,200 per month as supervisor of an "electronic group" which are involved in running Bahrain's e-voting program, running websites and Internet forums which foment sectarian hatred, and SMS campaigns for the organization, the report says.
The "Electronic group" is said to be headed by Bahrain Airport Services employee and soon-to-be IT head at the Cabinet Affairs Ministry.

• A receipt from South African Celerity Systems included in the report shows the purchase of "block SMS credits" worth 740 Euros on August 1 last year attributed to a Bahrain address.
• 
  
• A bill for BD 7,639 purportedly drawn up by Mr Al Qaed details payments made to individuals working on e-voting projects, technical assistance, administrative work and to pay for printers, scanners and computers is included in the report.
• It is matched with a cheque for the same amount written to Mr Al Qaed from Shaikh Ahmed on August 8.

Main Operator 3: Adel Busaiba

The third "civil leader" is said to be CIO employee, Islamic Education Society Social Activities director and Al Asalah Society member Adel Rashid Busaiba. Mr Busaiba is paid BD 1,000 per month for activities to mobilize Sunnis against Shiites and for running a "Sunni Conversion" project and a "Sectarian Switch" project, the report alleges.

• A cheque worth BD 955 purportedly written to Mr Busaiba from Shaikh Ahmed on August 2, to pay for "advertisements" is included in the report.
• It is placed alongside an invoice to the Islamic Education Society from the Akhbar Al Khaleej newspaper publishing house requesting BD 555 to pay for an advertisement on February 27 and an invoice from the Al Watan newspaper publishing company asking for BD 400 to pay for an advert on August 2.
• An undated advert from an Arabic newspaper shows a statement bearing the name of 15 Islamic charities and 9 Islamic societies - including the Islamic Education Society and the Al Asalah Society - condemning attacks on Sunni mosques in Iraq.
• A receipt included in the report also purports to show Mr Busaiba receiving BD 1,501 on August 17 2005 for "the cost of payments towards converts from Shia to Sunni (literally, 'those who have been enlightened')".
• The report also contains charts listing small sum (BD30 to BD 150) alleged payments to individuals for electricity, telephone and water bills, school fees and educational courses, and a list of 37 names under the heading "new converts in 2005".

Main Operator 4: Nasser Lori

A former CIO employee, Royal Court assistant undersecretary for coordination and follow up and 10 per cent shareholder in the Bahraini Al Watan newspaper Nasser Lori, is named in the report as another of the five "civil leaders".

Mr Lori, the report suggests, is involved in a secretive naturalization program at the Royal Court and has well known connections with Salafi Islamist groups in the Gulf and Middle East. He is allegedly paid BD 1,000 per month through a Shamil bank account to supervise the activities of the Al Watan newspaper, which the report suggests is fully complicit in the organization's work.

• The report contains a BD 39,375 cheque written to "the Al Watan newspaper" allegedly signed by Mr Lori on July 25.
• A receipt for a BD 1,000 "incentive for the month of June" allegedly signed by Mr Lori is also included as well as two cash deposit slips: one worth BD 5,000 paid into his Shamil bank account on November 9, 2005 and another for BD 9,000 paid into his account on February 22, 2006.

Main Operator 5: Jamal Al-Asiri

The fifth "civil leader" is said to be advisor to Royal Court minister Mohammed bin Ateyatalla Al Khalifa, editor of the Al Watan newspaper, former BBC (Arabic) correspondent and former Al Eslah society magazine coordinator, Jamal Yousif Al-Asiri.

Mr Al Asiri is paid BD 800 per month as head of public relations and news for the organization, the report alleges.

He is said to be provided with BD 3,000 per month to run a monitoring body called the "Centre for Public Opinion" with his brother Yacoub Yousif Al-Asiri, and Al Watan board of board of directors head Hisham Abdulrahman Jaffer Bucheeri.

• A series of cheques included in the report purport to show Mr Al Asiri receiving BD 3,000 in January, February, March and April from Shaikh Ahmed as "salary for running a centre for public opinion".
• A receipt from July 8 also allegedly shows Mr Lori receiving BD 800 as an "incentive for the month of June".
• Receipts also purport to show Al Watan journalists receiving "incentive" payments.
• Mr Lori is also said to receive further funding to pay local media and public relations workers from government ministries and private newspapers who work as part of an "Egyptian Media Group".

  The "Egyptian Media Group" is said to work from offices in the Zinj and Riffa areas under the control of Royal Court media worker Ali Radhi Hasanain. The group was allegedly paid BD 12,000 towards its establishment and said to work by planting stories in local newspapers under false names, preparing media pieces (mainly for Al Watan newspaper), and providing local columnists with prepared articles for them to reproduce as their own.

• A cheque for BD 1,600 allegedly signed by Shaikh Ahmed and written to Mr Lori is matched with a request for BD 1,600 to pay individuals belonging to a "media support group".
• The report also includes receipts allegedly showing media and public relations workers receiving financial "incentives" and payments for "services".
• Kuwait Finance House employees Hamad Al Muhaiza and Ahmed Khayri also receive monthly incentive payments for the "work" they do for the organisation, the report alleges.

  A receipt included purportedly shows Mr Al Muhaiza receiving BD 500 on March 31 as an "incentive for the month of February".

What it means:

At a crucial time for the new democratic process in Bahrain, these allegations cast a shadow of doubt on the genuine opportunity for all people in Bahrain to live in equality and with dignity.

According to the findings of this report, policies to subjugate Bahrain's Shia majority are not left behind in the pre-reform era, but are being practiced today by high ranking government officials.

These allegations are devastating to the goodwill of people who embraced the chance for a better life under a new regime, and a provide a bitter confirmation to those who have rejected the reforms as being merely a facade.

For the sake of trust, stability and security in Bahrain, the BCHR calls for:

• an independent and honest fact finding commission into these allegations.
• Officials implicated must have their positions frozen pending an investigation, and detach themselves completely from the electoral process.
• Those found guilty of this crime against the Bahraini people should be brought to justice.