Deaths Increase in Bahrain

Four activists have died in the past 24 hours in Bahrain. Hajj Ali Al-Sukari and Abbas Sheikh both died from inhaling tear gas that was fired by Saudi-backed forces during anti-regime rallies. According to the report released by Amnesty International, the use of tear gas against protesters has increased and become more deadly in recent days. More than a dozen deaths have already been attributed to tear gas inhalation, including women and children. Saeed Fakher, also an anti-regime protester, was tortured to death while in custody of security forces. Muhammad Ali Ya’qhoub died after being run over by a Bahraini police car. Some witnesses said it was not the injuries sustained from the car accident, but that Ya’qhoub died from being tortured at the police station after the incident.

Meanwhile, “Professor Cherif Bassiouni, head of the Bahrain Independent Commission, has slammed the actions of the Bahrain Government since the report’s publication, calling it a ‘whitewash’.” Bassiouni is one of many who have condemned the silence of the U.S. regarding the situation in Bahrain. The February 14 Youth Coalition published a letter also condemning the lack of action from the U.S., and said its “silence has been interpreted by the regime in Bahrain as an approval to use brutal methods to crush the peaceful revolution and crackdown on political activists.”