Thursday, September 01, 2011

No worry. NATO planes are on the way to Bahrain. Stay calm

"A 14-year-old boy was killed during a peaceful demonstration in Bahrain’s central town of Sitra today, where dozens of demonstrators took part in anti-government protests marking the feast of ‘Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan.  ‘Ali Jawad Ahmad al-Shaikh died from a head injury after being hit by a tear gas canister thrown by riot police, a local human rights group said.  “This tragic death occurred during a peaceful protest where police appear to have used excessive force against people demonstrating against the government,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.  “The police have a duty to uphold the law, but it is completely unacceptable to throw heavy gas canisters at children. The authorities must investigate ‘Ali Jawad Ahmad al-Shaikh’s death immediately in a thorough, independent and impartial manner, and those responsible must be held to account,” he added.  The Ministry of Interior denied there was any police action in Sitra at the time of the boy’s death this morning. It said that ‘Ali Jawad Ahmad al-Shaikh was already dead when he arrived at hospital, but gave no explanation for the cause of death."