Syria, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Now, Back to the News

At Funeral of Qaddafi's Son (Photo: Reuters)

1852 GMT: A Bahraini official has denied that the government is targeting Shi'ite mosques for destruction. Bahrain's Justice and Islamic Affairs minister, Shaikh Khalid Bin Ali Al Khalifa, claims that many buildings that were built illegally are being destroyed, but mosques were not being singled out:

"By taking action against illegal buildings that have accumulated over the years, the municipality should be praised, not criticised," he said. "We are not targeting mosques, but any building that was put up in violation of the laws and regulations. Claims that some of the buildings were more than 200 years are also untrue because under Bahrain's laws, any real estate that is more than 60 years old is duly recorded in the country's registers. We should not fall for baseless allegations and should learn to co-exist peacefully," he said.

He also took offense to the classification of Shiite and Sunni mosques.

1830 GMT: Algeria has approved a big wave of government spending, subsidies for food staples and the removal of duties, in order to pacify growing discontent there as well. The move will increase public spending by 25%.

1620 GMT: Switching to Bahrain, 47 medical professionals are facing prosecutions, some of them for the death of two protesters. The two deceased were injured during the anti-government protests, and some of the medical professionals are being accused of providing "unnecessary" treatment on them, leading to their deaths.

It is widely thought that the government is cracking down on the doctors and other medical professionals because they have credibility, and have witnessed many of the wounds that the protesters have suffered at the hands of government security forces.

Also, two former MPs, both members of the opposition group Wefaq, have been arrested.  

1600 GMT: In Syria, days after tanks rolled through the streets in Daraa, the BBC is now reporting that tanks have surrounded the coastal city of Baniyas. According to activists, both the northern and the southern gates have been blocked by soldiers, and small arms have been distributed to government supporters in the surrounding villages. 

1436 GMT: A disturbing report about how rape and sexual assault is being used as a weapon of war in Libya.

1432 GMT: Al Jazeera is reporting that NATO has launched attacks on pro-Gaddafi forces near Misurata. More details when we have them...

1408 GMT: The official Bahrain News Agency is reporting that the house of representatives (all pro-government now) have called for a three-month extension to martial law.  

1341 GMT: The official in charge of the rebel oil industry in Libya said that they have no plans to return to large-scale oil production and exports in the near future. Instead, the rebels are focusing on securing the oil facilities. It should be noted, however, that small amounts of oil have been exported, adding much needed money to the rebel treasury.

Meanwhile, Italy is hosting a meeting to discuss revitalizing oil exports out of Libyan rebel territory. 

1336 GMT: With their embassy closed, and their diplomatic corps safely out of Libya, Tukish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has released a statement saying that it is time for Colonel Gaddafi to go:

"A new period started in the history of Libya. Words ran out on the Libya matter," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.

"At this point what needs to be done is for Moammar Gadhafi, who is holding the government in Tripoli in Libya to leave power immediately and to fulfill his historical and humanitarian responsibility."

1325 GMT: A new twist in the case of missing Al Jazeera journalist Dorothy Parvaz: Parvaz was American, Canadian, and Iranian, and was traveling on an Iranian passport. Ali Akbar Salehi, the Iranian foreign minister made this statement:

"I hope that it is not true, but if that is the case, then we demand the government of Syria to look into this."

See, Iran is a champion of the free press. For more on that, look at every Iran article that has ever appeared on EA.

1315 GMT: Ammar Qurabi, head of Syria’s National Organization for Human Rights, has told reporters that over 1000 people have been detained in the last two days, with at least half of those coming from Daraa alone. 

This comes as Syrian authorities announced yesterday that those who are opposing them militarily have 15 days to turn themselves in. The only problem: we've yet to find a body of evidence that suggests these protesters have taken up arms against the state.

1310 GMT: The International Red Cross is calling on Bashar al-Assad to allow aid workers access to those injured during recent unrest, particularly in Daraa where the need is the greatest. 

1303 GMT: The Guardian has posted a mashup of amateur video from Daraa, proof of the government's attempts to suppress dissent there.

1220 GMT: France has said that European Union sanctions against Syria over should specifically target President Bashar al-Assad.

Asked whether Paris wanted Assad to be named, Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told reporters, "France wishes so."

The EU on Friday launched preparations for an embargo on the sale to Syria of weapons and equipment that might be used for internal repression. The bloc said it would also "urgently consider further appropriate and targeted measures with the aim of achieving an immediate change of policy by the Syrian leadership",

1210 GMT: The National Organization for Human Rights in Syria says authorities have arrested more than 1000 people and many more are missing since Saturday amidst house-to-house searches.

1200 GMT: Back from an academic break to find a statement from Bahrain's Minister of Justice, Khaled bin Ali Al Khalifa, that almost 50 doctors and nurses who treated injured protesters will be tried in a military court.

Al Khalifa said 23 doctors and 24 nurses face protest-related charges, including participating in attempts to topple the monarachy.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights has published a report claiming that more than 68 journalists "have been subjected to lay-off, arrest and threats because of their work".

0455 GMT: After weeks in the spotlight, events from Damascus to Tripoli to Manama to Sanaa were swept aside yesterday while the media scrambled for the latest scrap about the death of Osama bin Laden. Even Al Jazeera, the leading outlet for breaking developing in Syria and Libya, effectively went on standby.

In Libya, the major event was the funeral of Seif al-Arab Qaddafi, the youngest son of the Libyan leader. Mourners shouted for revenge in Tripoli as about 2000 people greeted the funeral procession.

In Syria, thousands of people continued to take to the streets despite the escalation in detentions, including 500 men in the southern town of Daara, by security forces. Reuters captured this snapshot from Monday's round-up of hundreds of pro-democracy campaigners:

"I am Dana Jawabra from Deraa," Jawabra shouted as she was forced into a white Kia secret police car outside her home in the Mezza West District of Damascus.

The 39-year-old engineer was arrested on March 16 while taking part in a silent protest in Damascus to demand the release of thousands of political prisoners in Syria....She was released on March 27 as Preident Bashar al-Assad made vague promises for reform that failed to stop mass demonstrations from spreading to other parts across Syria.

Possibly because of the attention to bin Laden, Western media have not picked up on the apparent detention of Al Jazeera's Dorothy Parnaz, who has been missing since Friday. The Seattle Post Intelligencer, where Parvaz was a reporter, and Wolfson College of Cambridge University, where she was a Press Fellow, have joined Al Jazeera with statements calling for her release. A Facebook page has also been set up.