Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Deadline for a Cease-Fire

Analysts on Al Jazeera English's Inside Story discuss whether a peace plan can succeed in Syria

See also Bahrain Document: Activists Appeal to BBC and Sky Not to Broadcast Grand Prix
Turkey Live Coverage (12 April): Erdogan "If the UN Does Not Follow on Syria, What Will It Follow Through?"
Wednesday's Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Deadline? What Deadline?
Turkey Live Coverage (11 April): Erdogan Taking the Lead on Syria?

---

2005 GMT: A significant update from Bahraini photojournalist Mazen Mahdi:

opposition groups call-off Friday 3pm rally and call on supporters to take part in funeral of citizen journalist Ahmed Ismail #Bahrain

— Mazen Mahdi (@MazenMahdi) April 12, 2012

The family of Ahmad Ismail Hassan, the citizen journalist killed two weeks ago as he filmed protests on Salmabad --- allegedly by a regime operative firing from a Land Cruiser --- had refused to accept the body from the hospital because "shooting" was not put as cause of death on the certificate.

Now that the family has taken Ismail Hassan for burial, the march promises to be one of the largest in recent months on the island.

1945 GMT: The Local Co-ordination Committees of Syria have issued a clarification about today's claimed death toll of 37:

The Local Coordination Committees would like to note that the martyrs of Deir Baalba's Massacre [in a section of Homs] that was discovered today have actually fallen on the 8th of April, 2012; and it was until today that their bodies were discovered.

This happened because of the heavy presence of the army and the lack of communications in the city during the last week. Therefore, the number of martyrs who were killed today...is 22 martyrs, distributed as follows: 9 martyrs in Homs, 6 in Idlib, 5 in Damascus Suburbs and 2 martyrs in Aleppo.

An evening demonstration in Hama:

Click to read more ...

Bahrain Video and Photo Special: Friday's "Free Alkhawaja Protests"

A visual round-up of the day's marches and rallies in Bahrain for detained hunger striker Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, from the thousands who gathered across the island to the security forces' attempts to disperse the protests and prevent demonstrators from reaching Pearl Roundabout, the symbolic centre of the challenge to the regime:

Click to read more ...

Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: What Happens After the "Friends of Syria" Meeting?

See also War on Terror Feature: Don't Tell the US Border Police You Do Islamic Studies
Palestine Feature: What Happens When A Journalist Criticises the Palestinian Authority?
Syria 1st-Hand: Life in Damascus --- "Tell Me, How Do I Survive?"
Turkey Live Coverage (2 April): After the "Friends of Syria" Left....
Sunday's Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Gathering of the "Friends of Syria"

---

2040 GMT: A mass demonstration in the Douma suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus:

Click to read more ...

Bahrain Video Interview: Nabeel Rajab on BBC HARDTalk "Why This Regime and This Revolution Are Different"

On Saturday, Nabeel Rajab, the President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, was detained again by regime for "illegal participation in a regime" and held for several hours. His alleged criime was to protest the continued detention of Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, his predecessor at the BCHR who has been imprisoned for life and is on Day 53 of a hunger strike.

Earlier in the week, Rajab was in a much different setting, fielding the challenge of questions from the BBC's HARDTalk programme about the situation in his kingdom, including the ongoing violence, and about his vision of a political resolution:

Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Recognising Protest and Human Rights

A protest last night in the Kafarsouseh section of the Syrian capital Damascus

See also Syria Analysis: "Peace" Only Buys Time for All Sides
Turkey Live Coverage (28 March): Any Outcome from Tehran Talks?
Wednesday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: A Peace Plan Accepted?

---

2130 GMT: Another update from our correspondent in Bahrain, "At the moment protests have blocked Budaiya Highway and police are tear-gassing, trying to reopen the roads."

2055 GMT: Syria isn't the only place with protests, and problems, this evening. An EA correspondent in Bahrain reports in:

"It's almost midnight and clashes still going on?!"

In fact, a quick check on Twitter and it appears that there are widespread reports of teargas and clashes between protesters and police. This picture was reportedly taken just a little while ago in Abu Saiba:

Click to read more ...

Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: This is "Peace" --- Another 90 Die

Thursday night's protest rally in the Douma suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus

---

2200 GMT: We're closing yet another crazy Friday. Here's a summary.

In Bahrain, there were nine very large protests, most or all of which were attacked by police who used teargas to disperse the crowds. Though protests were planned, they were larger and more energetic today after the news that a man died last night from tear gas inhalation.

Some protesters destroyed closed-circuit TV cameras and threw rocks at police. Apparently, there was at least one occurrence of youth throwing Molotov cocktails.

This anger was sparked by what the activists consider widespread police brutality. Large parts of the island nation were covered in teargas again today, and riot vehicles reportedly chased down protesters in an attempt to run them over. There are also more unconfirmed reports of injured children, and another unconfirmed report that police sexually molested a young girl. Earlier in the week activists say that the police molested and tortured a 16-year-old boy, Ali.

At the end of the day, resolution to this conflict seems further away than it has ever been.

In Syria, the primary headline was arguably the use of helicopters to attack ground targets for the first time that we can confirm. There were several instances of this today and last night, all of them between Aleppo and the border with Turkey.

At nightfall, there are more reports of widespread fighting between FSA soldiers and the Assad military, specifically in Hama and to the east of Damascus.

The other noteworthy video was posted at 1544 GMT, showing an IED attack against Assad infantry in Hama.

However, once again the fact that will be lost to most headline writers is that there were large and widespread protests across the country, including in Damascus and Aleppo. Once again the Syrian opposition has used another Friday to prove that their resistance to the regime cannot be shot or shelled into submission.

Click to read more ...

Bahrain Photo Special: Friday's Mass "March 4 Democracy"

An image after Friday's March 4 Democracy in Bahrain (Photo: Reuters)

---

An EA correspondent in Bahrain sends us this feature:

On Friday, the Bahraini opposition scored a symbolic victory with its March 4 Democracy. The numbers on the roads are still up for debate --- some activists claimed 400,000 while regime supporters insisted there were "only" 100,000 in Bahrain's 1.2 million population who turned out --- but the impact was beyond question.

Nabeel Rajab, the head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, summarised: "A historic protestwith hundred of thousands of protesters participating from all sectors of society --- all expressed their demands freely. The march was a clear message to the regime and the international community that, despite all the brutality, this nation has returned stronger and more determined than before."

Click to read more ...

Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: More than 100,000 March For Reform

Mass turnout at Saturday's funeral for Fadhel Al Obeidi, killed by Bahraini security forces (see 1450 GMT)

See also Israeli Jets Kill 14 in Gaza; Rockets Fired into Southern Israel
Tunisia Feature: Women Speak Out for Rights in a "New Country"
Syria Snap Analysis: Kofi Annan --- Lost on the Road to Damascus
Friday's Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: A UN Envoy in Damascus

---

2250 GMT: In Bahrain, the public prosecutor's office has said that it is dropping criminal charges against 15 of 20 doctors and nurses who have been given prison sentences of five to 15 years.

The medics, who treated protesters in Salmaniya Medical Center in the early days of last year's demonstrations, were convicted in September by a military court of incitement to overthrow the government and attempting to occupy a hospital. After international criticism, the case was transferred to a civilian court for new hearings.

"The Public Prosecutor...has stated he will only be presenting evidence for a small number of accused involved in the most serious criminal violations," the office announced. "Of the criminal cases involving medical professionals, only five have been accused of serious criminal charges."

The statement said the 15 others would face disciplinary hearings for acts including breaching patient confidentiality by allowing cameras into a hospital, leading political protests inside the hospital, and discriminating against patients based on their sect.

Click to read more ...

Bahrain Feature: The Long Tentacles of the Regime's PR Octopus (Owen Jones)

The CEO of Bell Pottinger PR with Bahrain's Minister of EnergyThe BBC World Service show "World Have Your Say" broadcast a show last week that concerned the media war in Bahrain. Among the topics discussed was the government PR machine, though unbeknownst to the BBC, one of the guests on the show is the managing director of a company who receives money from the government to do PR. Another guest on the show was also suggested to the BBC by a PR company connected to the royal family, though the BBC were quick to emphasise that she was not representing the royal family.

Click to read more ...

Bahrain Opinion: No Reform, So Why is the Grand Prix Going Ahead? (Lubbock/Rajab)

> The Bahrain International Circuit, a palm-lined, glitzy race track in the middle of the desert, is due to host Formula One in April. Behind the facade, however, lie tales of misery, blood and torture.

Last year, the head of security at the BIC raided its offices alongside plainclothed police with a list. The list contained the names of every Shia employee. One by one they were dragged from their desks and beaten in front of colleagues [see footnote]. In total, 27 were arrested, and many were left in jail for months. The BIC is responsible for purging its own people. It is hardly a place that deserves to host this race again.

Click to read more ...