The Next Egypt?

The world has erupted. Pro-democracy protests have spread faster than a forest fire engulfing nations that saw for decades oppression and corruption from authoritarian rulers.

While Tunisia ignited the torch, Egypt took it forward and President Hosni Mubarak's resignation gave the hope to millions of citizens worldwide that they too could bring about change in their country by simply believing in the power of the people's movement. 

The world looks on as Egypt celebrates its victory today with two million people in Tahrir Square (in pic above), the people's seat that toppled the President. While the mood was festive, Egyptians do realize they have a long way to go to get the military to honour its promises and deliver change.

But following Egypt's historic victory against its oppresive regime, hundreds and thousands took to the streets in their own countries. The respective governments too stepped up opposition and, unlike Egypt, turned the police and army against the people. 


While for many countries achieving Egypt's success in such a short span of time might be difficult, I believe Bahrain. Libya and Yemen would be at the forefront of demanding change and will unfortunately see much more violence than Egypt. 

While Bahrain may see days of comparatively peaceful protests next week with sporadic incidences of violence, Libya will definitely erupt and see much more violence over the weekend. Yemen is just finding its feet in pro democracy protests and though Saleh has taken a backstep by offering to step down at the end of the term, Yeminis will not be satisfied until they see him leave soon.

Bahrain - Burning in Protests

Bahrain is seeing one of the most violent protests of the recent days. The people from this  tiny country in the Gulf have decided to stand up against the monarchy and are demanding a more equal and just society. 

About 70 percent of Bahrain's citizens are Shiite Muslims. Though Bahrain is one of the few Gulf nation's with a popularly elected parliament, the main powers still rest in the hands of the Sunni monarchy which decides important political and military posts.

So protesters have taken to the streets demanding an end to these powers of the monarchy. Clashes and protests have occurred sporadically over the past few days. Security forces in Bahrain have dispersed thousands of anti-government protesters in Pearl Square in the centre of the capital, Manama using tear gas and batons. There are now police with tanks reported on some streets. Bahraini security forces have also opened fire on anti-government protesters killing an injuring many.

The heavy police and military presence in the capital Manama is ensuring that more protesters are not allowed entry in the capital. Funerals of those killed in the clashes are taking place across the country.

Amnesty International has strongly condemned these acts of violence by the state. 'Respect for human rights in Bahrain has deteriorated significantly in the past year in the face of growing anti-government sentiment and violent protests,' it says in its latest report 'Crackdown in Bahrain: Human Rights at the Crossroads', which speaks about gross human rights violations by the Bahraini government.

Libya - Day of Rage

Libya's 'Day of Rage' found snipers fire at protesters from rooftops. The longest ruling dictator Col. Maummar al-Gaddafi's left no stone unturned to turn his rage on the people protesting against his rule. 

His regime turned its helicopter gunships and snipers on protesters, killing and injuring many of them. According to Human Rights Watch at least 24 people have been killed by Libyan security forces though officially Libya has issued no casualty figures.

Reports on social network sites say up to 50 people have been killed in protests in several Libyan cities. Libyan are flocking to facebook and twitter to join the anti-government movement

The protestors refuse to succumb and are first concentrating on towns that have weaker support for Gaddafi like in the east, including its second largest city, Benghazi. The area is largely cut-off from international media.

Also mobile phone networks in Libya are now being used by the regime for sending messages from 'the youth of Libya' warning against crossing 'four red lines: Maummar Gadhafi, territorial integrity, Islam and internal security'.

Although the European Union has urged Libyan authorities to allow free expression and listen to what the protesters have to say, the Libyan leader believes in pretending that discontent doesn't exist in Libya. Gaddafi says Libyans enjoy 'true democracy'.

So while his country is burning in other parts, he decides to put a show of strength. State television showed several hundred pro-government supporters holding a rally in Tripoli's Green Square before dawn. As Gaddafi arrived, he stood up through the sunroof of his limousine and waved to the crowd.

The Gaddafi family's billionaire lifestyle and playboy reputation is a liability in a region where unemployment and corruption are widespread. The protesters demand political freedoms, respect for human rights and an end to corruption and are refusing to bow down. 

Yemen - 'Friday of Rage'

Riots have flared up in Yemen after eight days of protests where protesters are calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. A key US ally and a ruler for 32 years, Saleh is already facing threats from al Qaida militants who want him out, a southern secessionist movement and an erratic armed rebellion in the north.

Facebook and twitter were used to garner support for the 'Friday of Rage' and tens of thousands responded in the capital Sanaa, Aden and Taiz. Anti-government demonstrators clashed with supporters of Saleh and police, who fired tear gas and shots in the air to disperse the crowd. 

In the city of Taiz, a hand grenade was allegedly thrown at a group of protesters causing a blast and a stampede. Riots also flared up in the southern port of Aden where cars and a local government building were set ablaze.

Eyewitnesses in Sana’a told Amnesty International that they had been surrounded and attacked by security forces and 'thugs'.“We are trying to hide but the security forces are pointing out our locations to the thugs. We are very scared, particularly because there are children with us. We’ve tried to get the children out of the area but the security forces have not allowed us to do so,” one activist told Amnesty International today.

Iraq's REAL prisoners of war

When the US-led coalition attacked Iraq they promised to make it a better place, they promised to put an end to Saddam Hussain's tyranny and his gross human rights violations. But did the Iraq war make the country a better place or simply let the systemic torture and injustice continue with just a different figurehead?

After the US-led invasion and the toppling of Saddam's regime, the coalition along with Iraqi forces picked up thousands of people including women and put them behind bars in secret locations without any charge or trial. Even with a democratic Iraq now, the stories of Iraq's 'secret' prisons are deafening.  

According to an Amnesty International (AI) report released today, in Iraq there have been 'widespread abuse of detainees committed with impunity'. At least 30,000 people are detained in secret prisons across Iraq without any charges. These men and women are held incommunicado and have no access to lawyers. Torture and ill treatment are  commonplace.

What is worse is that the Iraqi forces use torture to get a forced 'confession' out of the detainees and then put them through unfair trials.  The Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI) often convicts defendants on the basis of these 'confessions', ignoring any pleas of torture even with clear evidence in many cases. The result: 1300 prisoners are on the death row!  

Iraqi prisoner seen at al-Muthanna prison in Baghdad, Iraq in May 2010. Human Rights Watch says this 'secret' detention facility was operated by elite forces controlled by the military office of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (AP Photo)

 In April 2010, when the Iraqi authorities released 95 detainees from the old Muthanna airport prison, all of them were traumatised and had horror stories to tell. One detainee told AI, “We [father and son] were tortured in the same manner: suspension from a bed upside-down, suffocation by putting plastic bags on our heads, beatings, use of electric shocks on various parts of the body... After that I confessed. I confessed to things I never knew what they were.”

Another detainee explained the guard's popular method of torture called 'oxygen'- 'The most horrible method is asphyxiation by plastic bag. You don’t last for more than 5 or 10 seconds and you start running out of breath. Then you are basically forced to say I will confess and sign anything you want me to sign.'

In early 2009, human rights organisations warned the US  forces, during the transfer of detainees to Iraqi authorities that these prisoners would be at grave risk of torture in Iraqi-run prisons if rigorous safeguards were not implemented. The US government ignored it.

Perhaps not surprising, after the Abu Ghraib prison scandal of 2004, when reports of prisoner abuse by US soldiers including torture, rape, sodomy, homicide etc came into the public glare. Soldiers of the 320th Military Police Battalion were charged with these crimes and further investigations were ordered to save face but with few results.

Documents released by WikiLeaks in October 2010 show that the US troops allegedly abused prisoners for years even after the Abu Ghraib scandal and that the US ignored systemic abuse, rape and even murder by Iraqi police and soldiers. In one instance, a leaked document describes instances of Iraqi soldiers urinating, jumping, and spitting upon a detainee. 

A review of the leaked documents reveal more than 1,000 allegations of abuse committed by Iraqi security forces. Hundreds of them are supported by medical evidence and other corroboration. These reports demonstrate a clear pattern of abuse and torture in Iraqi jails, one that a high-level Pentagon directive barred US forces from investigating saying, 'due to no allegation or evidence of US involvement, a US investigation is not being initiated.' So much for securing democracy in Iraq!

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reports that '303 allegations of abuse by coalition forces were reported in the military files after 2004'. So when the protector of people turn into savage beast, then where do you go to seek justice?



Ramze Ahmed has been detained in Iraq

 This is what Rahiba al-Qassab is asking on the eve of her husband's Ramze Shihab Ahmed trial.  Ramze, a British citizen, went to Iraq from his home in the UK in November 2009 to try to secure the release of his son, who had been detained two months earlier. He was first held in an the secret al-Muthanna prison between December 2009 and April 2010 and then moved to al-Rusafa prison. 

His family has no idea of his whereabouts until 25 March 2010 when he managed to call his wife from prison. Ramze  too alleges that he been repeatedly tortured. He was held without charge for a year but has recently been charged under Anti terror legislation. It may attract a death sentence.  

His trial will probably be a test to gauge if the 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' simply gave the Iraqi forces freedom to carry atrocities or has liberated the country enough to put an end to an unjust judicial system.