Inform and Educate At Your Own Risk

Human right activists have continuously raised concern over Bahrain’s non stop attack on freedom of speech and expression. This is particularly evident after the protests last year after which Bahraini photographers were fired from their jobs, assaulted and arrested. Why? For doing their job. For their involvement in documenting the events of Bahrain’s  attempt in bringing about a revolution.

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” True.  Photographs taken during the protests were trying to do the same. They spoke about the non violent nature of the Bahraini protestors at the Pearl Roundabout. They exposed the brutality of the government. And most importantly, their tortuous methods meted out to people.

Photographers, both amateurs and professionals, have had a vital role in documenting the pro democracy protests in Bahrain. During the first few days, their photographs informed and educated the public about protestor’s’ demands, informing them about events calling for unity like the human chain. Talking of international media, they were banned from covering events. It was mainly the Bahraini photographers who covered the unrest. Their photographs and videos were soon distributed via the social network and some of the media channels decided to take them up for their shows.

Despite the imposition of the Martial law on March 15^th, 2011 that limited media coverage, and when foreign journalists and photographers were deported post the law, photographers continued to cover the protest fighting stringent measures to stop them from doing so.

It was time for the government to react. . Mohammed Al Mukhreq, photojournalist working for Al Wasat newspaper was assaulted while covering the protests at the Bahrain Financial Harbor. He was kicked, beaten, and briefly arrested. Another photo journalist had his leg broken after a security car hit a pick up truck on which he was standing.

More than 20 photographers have been targeted. They have been sacked from their jobs, interrogated and banned from traveling. Their equipment has been confiscated.

Photographer Hussain Marzooq was sentenced to a serve a jail term for one year. He also had to pay a fine of BD100 on charges of “transmitting photos that would bring harm to Bahrain abroad.” During the process of trial, Hussain alleged that he was being subjected to severe beating, however, the judge disregarded his complaint. He had proof. He had apparent marks of torture on his wrists.

What the greater concern is that photographers who have been detained since the last crackdown in March have not been allowed to meet their families, which raises questions about the kind of treatment they have been subjected to in detention.

These tortuous ways are an attempt to conceal the real image of what is happening in Bahrain from the world and public opinion. Transmitting photographs cannot be considered a crime in any form, it is rather a right for people to express. The arbitrary arrests and trials that target freedom of expession emphasize the government’s failure. It is so ironical that on the one hand people are asking for a revolution, that aims at brining about a democracy and on the other hand the government arrests people for something that is their basic right.

Freedom of speech and expression is a constitutional right in Bahrain. To add to it, “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, this right includes freedom to seek various forms of information and ideas, receive and impart it to others, regardless of frontiers, either in writing or in print, in the form of art or through any other media of his choice,” as stated by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.