Judiciary in Bahrain extension of royal family: Activist

Press TV has conducted an interview with Massoud Shadjareh, head of the Islamic Human Rights Commission from London, about a decision made by a court in Bahrain to dissolve the country’s main Shia opposition group, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Give us your thoughts on the repercussions of the dissolution of the main opposition movement, al-Wefaq.

Shadjareh: Well, I think it really is important to note that when we talk about sort of judiciary or courts in Bahrain, really what is happening in Bahrain is sort of the regime is just a family dictatorship and there is really no independent judiciary or any other aspect of the government. So, really this family decides what to do and implements it. And then this particular family because of their weakness of support within their own country they’re actually relying on the support from Saudi Arabia, the United States, Britain etc. So, really what is we are seeing is when we say that the judiciary has decided to take all the resources away and dismantle the opposition, really what we are seeing is this dictatorship family have going much further than they were before.

And the reality is that this results in the community the majority of Bahrainis becoming further alienated and the establishment of the concept that this royal family has got no intention of actually resolving the empowerment or indeed addressing the needs and aspirations of its own citizens. And these actions are actually sort of seals on this documentation that the Bahraini government is going to go all the way and go further in implementing these new colonial policies and alienating further and further. So, we are actually if anything we are working state walking into a situation that there is nothing left for the citizens in Bahrain, but to actually escalate what has been happening in the last five years, peaceful demonstration, peaceful resistance against this sort of royal family regime. And that could mean going into some sort of action militarily or whatever against the regime.

And that is extremely sad because for five years this community in Bahrain have been extremely patient. They relied on good will of international community and they’ve basically been asking peacefully for recognition of their basic fundamental right. And now they see that they’ve been abandoned by the international community and the encouragement which have been given to this royal family regime is actually resulting in further escalation of their oppression. And this is extremely sad, extremely sad, because I think everyone agrees that the Bahrainis through their peaceful struggle really deserve to be treated much better than they are both by the international community and indeed by this royal family regime.

Press TV: Let's talk about the abandonment of the international Community. There's been no action whatsoever from the international community with the United Nations at itself and certain flag-bearers of democracy, so to say, the United States and Britain the self-proclaimed flag-bearers of democracy. In addition to the fact as you just mentioned there is a lack of due judicial process in Bahrain as we're seeing fixed courts and kangaroo courts taking place for the opposition and members of the opposition who voice their dissent and are recalling for democracy in Bahrain.

Shadjareh: Well, all the judiciary and indeed all the structures in Bahrain are really exposed, they are very clearly, are not operating in anything other than extension of this dictatorial family. And now everyone both international community and people of Bahrain, who are left in no doubt that this is the reality and it will continue and is escalating. And that what sort of makes the matter really worse when you actually see one side, these are very clear. And then another side the international community is so silent and it's so frightening. And the fact of the matter is the United States and indeed the West and the UN and all those structures really seem to be speaking with double tongue.

On one side they actually say that what is prominent in their way forward is democracy and empowerment of ordinary citizens around the world, but then we see that the United States and in the West, Britain and others, are actually supporting the most dictatorial authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. And so really this is outrageous that they could get away with these banners that they are champions of democracy, human rights, etc when they’re supporters and indeed their support is actually providing a platform for these dictators to operate with this sort of impunity against their own citizens. And I think we really need to see a change in that area and otherwise we're going to see further conflict, further hatred, further sort of alienation of ordinary innocent civilians in masses.

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