Bahrain Feature: The 20 Doctors' Reply to Their Prison Sentences

As the Bahraini regime continues to insist, two days after 20 doctors were given 5 to 15-year prison sentences by a military court, "This has nothing to do with treating the protesters. [The doctors were] collaborating with the hard liners... to overthrow the regime. This is an attempted coup d'etat," we post the statement put out by the defendants:

During the times of unrest in Bahrain, we honored our medical oath to treat the wounded and save lives. And as a result, we are being rewarded with unjust and harsh sentences.

Thirteen Bahraini medics out of 20 received a sentence of 15 years in prison.

The charges that we have being accused of are absolutely ludicrous. We are highly professional and experienced medics and specialists, and we categorically deny all charges against us.

This is the first time in the history of medicine that the medical profession has been attacked on such a large scale by any government.

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Bahrain Report & Videos: Protests in 40 Villages on Friday, Man Dies From Tear Gas

Protest in Aldair on Friday

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UPDATE 1115 GMT: EA sources provide translations of the speeches at the major rally in Bahrain on Friday, organised by five leading opposition parties/movements.

Fathel Abbas, the Security General of the National Democratic Assembly promised the audience, "You will transfer us from dictatorship to democracy”. He offered "deep greetings" to detained opposition figures and political prisoners: "Despite being in jail they are free. Our demands will never change."

Abbas welcomed President Obama's speech at the UN, which called for further reforms in Bahrain, and asked him and the British Government to take serious steps against any crackdown on the pro-democracy movement.

Saluting "the youth and families who are working to clean their villages and towns after the government failed to carry out its responsibilities", Abbas denied any sectarian division --- "there is only one struggle between the regime and the opposition" --- and emphasised the peaceful nature of the protest movement.

Jameel Khadhim, one of 18 MPs of the opposition Al Wefaq party who resigned in March, praised the audience for the effective boycott of Parliamentary by-elections last weekend and denounced the detention and abuse of protesters, including female demonstrators: "What the government is doing to our women has shocked the humanity, and it is far away from all our moral values and ethics." He added a message for the women, "A special thanks to your heroic stands that defeated many men", and thanks those who have protested the detentions.

Khadhim also denounced the sentences handed down on doctors on Thursday --- "their only crime was to treat the wounded from the citizens who fell by the 'brave' police gunfire" --- and continued:

After more than seven months of implementing the repressive security policy, and its utter failure, then the failure of the “Official Forum of Dialogue” as well as the unsuccessful strategy of paying media for incitement, and finally the huge failure in the last elections. I ask what is left to the authorities to do?

Our people do not accept any more living under the government that is plagued by corruption, and under a council of deficient powers and unfair electoral districts, as well as unfair justice and absent security.

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Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Punishment and Protests

Protest in Anadan in Aleppo Province tonight, chanting about Syrian President Assad, "Bashar is a traitor"

See also Syria Video Special: The Friday Protests
Yemen Interview: President Saleh "I Will Retire When There Are Elections"
Syria Special: #MediaFail --- It's Not Yet a Civil War
Bahrain 1st-Hand: "48 Hours in Sanabis"
Thursday's Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A Showdown Looms?

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2010 GMT: An EA source in Bahrain reports blocked roads in many villages, some blocked by protesters to prevent police getting in, others blocked by police to prevent protesters getting out. The source continues, "There are clashes between protesters and police in many of the villages. On my round now I passed on at least seven protests/clashes."

2000 GMT: A lower-than-expected turnout --- at least for protest organisers --- in Tahrir Square in Cairo today.

Thousands came out for the rally, with most stages set up by leftist and revolutionary youth movements, chanting against the ruling Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and its head, Field-Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi: "Tell the truth! Will you nominate yourself for the Presidency?" demonstrators shouted in reference to SCAF chief Field-Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Many protesters wore shirts with stickers reading “No to SCAF” and carried signs bearing anti-SCAF slogans. One banner depicted a turtle, reflecting popular frustration with the slow pace of change during the post-Mubarak transitional period.

One bright spot amidst the disappoointment: Hollywood actor and political activist Sean Penn, waving an Egyptian flag, put in an appearance.

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Bahrain 1st-Hand: "48 Hours in Sanabis" (Al Jazeera English)

A message to Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa

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We left the house into the streets. Some stone-carrying shabab were starting to return to the main crossings in central Sanabis, standing over broken glass and spent tear gas cartridges --- all clearly marked "made in USA" --- waiting for the police to return.
 
We passed through the narrow alleyways, some barely wide enough for a car to pass through. Some parts were well lit with the bright orange glow of the street lights, others pitch black. Some areas were tight giving a sense of protection, while others were more open, leaving us completely exposed for a number of seconds when anything could happen. We could only hope as we approached the next street corner that there wouldn't be any police waiting around it, while we kept looking backwards to make sure there were none there either. Too fast and we would come upon them with no place to run, too slow and we'd get caught from behind.

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Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A Showdown Looms?

Residents of Sanabis in Bahrain clear up the debris after security forces went through the village

See also Bahrain Video: The Police Attacks on the Women and Men of Sanabis
Wednesday's Syria, Bahrain, Yemen (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A Libyan-Style Civil War?

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2003 GMT: The leader of the transitional government in Libya, Mahmoud Jabril, will not be part of the permanent government, the formation of which will be delayed until the conflict is over:

Asked at a news conference in Tripoli about the timetable for the government's announcement, Jibril said: "I hope that soon we will free Sirte and Bani Walid to begin negotiations on the formation of the transitional government, of which I will not be a part."

1953 GMT: A source in Bahrain informs us that there were protests in 25 villages today, including Sanabis, Al Eker, Karbabad, Nabih-Saleh, Al Dair, Barbar, Bani-Jamra, North & South Sehla, Jabalat-Habashi, Saddad, Bori, A'ali, Salmabad, Nuwaidrat, Alma'ameer, Al Juffair, Tubli, and Al Mugsha. In Sitra, there were protests in Al Qarya, Al Kharjia, Wadyan, Mhaza, Sufalah, and Markkuban. Below is a map of the protests:

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Syria, Bahrain, Yemen (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A Libyan-Style Civil War?

2045 GMT: In Bahrain, five leading opposition parties have announced a mass rally on Friday, begining at 4:30 p.m. local time, " We Demand Democracy":

EA sources report demonstrations across the country tonight including Muhaza, Sufala, Wadian, Sanabis, Aldaih, Karbabad, Dar-Khulaib, Alhamalah, Barbar, Buri, and Al Eker. A photo from Sanabis this evening:

And video from Dar-Khulaib:

Claimed footage last night of a clash in Sufala village in Sitra:

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Bahrain Video: The Police Attacks on the Women and Men of Sanabis (France 24)

France 24, picking up on the story of the Bahrain demonstrations, offers vivid first-hand testimony and video of attacks by security forces last Friday in Sanabis, near the capital Manama. The incidents occurred as protesters were trying to reach Pearl Roundabout/Martyrs Square, the symbolic centre of the challenge to the regime from mid-February.

Both of the events --- alleged police assaults on chador-clad women and the burning of buildings in Sanabis --- have been covered here on EA, but France 24 has additional video that we have not posted, as the well as the accounts of the woman and man who claim first-hand knowledge.

Syria, Bahrain, Yemen (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Blaming the "Foreign"

A protest last night in Bayada, not far from the battle in Rastan in Homs Province in Syria

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2025 GMT: One addition to James Miller's outstanding snap analysis below (see 1955 GMT) before we sign off for the day....

Reuters reports sharp rises in the prices of food and consumer goods after a widespread ban on imports imposed by the Syrian regime last week.

Amidst expanding sanctions by the US and the European Union, the regime banned all imports except grain, raw materials, and 51 essential items, in an effort to preserve dwindling foreign reserves.

Traders in Damascus and Aleppo said average prices had risen by up to 30%. Some said they have begun to hide stocks in the hope of selling at still higher prices as shortages take hold.

Damascus residents have complained that the prices of biscuits and potato chips, which have already risen during the six months of unrest, have jumped by more than 20% since last week, while 100-gramme bags of coffee and flour have risen 50%.

Six years ago, Assad lifted the import ban implemented by his father Hafez.

1955 GMT: At the end of the day, there have been very significant developments in Syria.

Today there were three main stories in Syria. The first, a renewed assault by Syrian military against al Rastan, Douma, and even certain areas of Damascus, just to name a few. Though it is early, and video evidence is still trickling in, the violence of these assaults matches some of the most heavy handed tactics the regime has used yet. Though we never saw security opening fire on a large crowd, we saw evidence of widespread use of artillery and tank bombardment, sometimes near schools and mosques.

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Syria, Bahrain, Yemen (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Popping the Regime's Bubble

Protest last night on the streets of the Syrian capital Damascus

See also The Real Net Effect: Social Media and the Changing Middle East

Bahrain Feature: An Opposition Leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, Spreads His Message on Twitter
Egypt Opinion: What Have We Achieved?
Bahrain Propaganda 101: The Regime and Its US PR Firm Spin the Election
Bahrain Special: An Election Day Overtaken by Protest, Violence, and Fires

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2020 GMT: Children in a Daraa neighbourhood in southern Syria chant against the regime:

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Bahrain, Yemen, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Trouble in the Villages

Claimed footage of police breaking into a parked car in Bahrain on Friday, possibly taking items from inside the vehicle

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2025 GMT: Bahraini authorities have said they will hold a second round of by-elections on 1 October in nine of the Parliamentary constituencies where voting took place on Saturday.

The authorities said no candidate had won 50% of the vote in the first round in the constituencies.

The second-round ballots will be another test of political strength after the low turnout of 17.4%, amidst a boycott by the opposition Al Wefaq party, on Saturday.

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