Bahrain: Appeal from Bahraini Writers Against Government Crackdown

As a matter of historical responsibility, this is an appeal from the Bahrain Writers Association and Bahrain Pen Center for help in face of mass systematic murder against the unarmed people of Bahrain, demanding legitimate rights for a democratic system which respects their rights.

What’s happening in our country since yesterday 15th March is genocide and brutal harm against unarmed citizens who were expressing their protests peacefully. Bahrain has witnessed killings and attacks on several cities and villages of the Shi’ite which resulted in a number of deaths and hundreds wounded in the gunfire; as happened in Sitra city and other villages where it has been usurped completely by riot police and the Bahraini army and the armies of GCC.

Supported by security were men and soldiers dressed in civilian clothes, which is incompatible with the most basic foundations of ethical and professional security personnel – especially in the case of an emergency.

At dawn of Wednesday the 16th, mounted riot police backed by armed force from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates attacked, without prior warning, hundreds of families taking part in a sit-in protest at Pearl Square using all kinds of firearms and Apache helicopters and closed all ports to prevent the escape of the protestors and prevent the access of medical aid and ambulances.

After that, the main Salmanya hospital was besieged and then broken through by riot police in order to arrest the wounded and infringe on the medical staff. They also surrounded the Bahrain International Hospital and Ibn – Alnafees hospital. Because of this, the number of deaths is expected to rise as people could not be cured.

The Government of Bahrain has proceeded to call on the help of the Saudi military forces and those from UAE. More troops from the Gulf are expected to arrive in order to be used in the suppression of the people of Bahrain who are peaceful and unarmed. The interference in the internal affairs of Bahrain is repressing the voices of freedom and democracy.

Bahrain Writers Association and Bahrain Pen Center appeal to the international community, Security Council, Secretary General of the United Nations and the Organization of International PEN and all centers of International PEN and all organizations and cultural institutions and international literary figures to provide rapid intervention to provide protection for the people of Bahrain in the face of oppression and brute force exercised by the system and Gulf allies against the defenseless people.

Bahrain 16th March 2011

Ahmed Alajmi
Acting President
Bahrain Writers Association

Fareed Ramadan
Acting President
Bahrain Pen Center


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Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a sovereign state in the Persian Gulf. The island nation comprises a small archipelago made up of 40 natural islands and an additional 51 artificial islands, centered around Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 percent of the country’s landmass.

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