Hussein Malla/AP

Syrian troops attacked a rebel stronghold and dozens were reportedly killed across the country.  The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least 23 soldiers killed in the area of Rastan. Deaths were also reported in the village of Qusayr and Deir Ezzor. Meanwhile, the SNC said it would not join opposition groups in Cairo for meetings, and instead would meet to solve its divisions. Hassan Hassansays that the opposition must be more inclusive of Syria’s eastern Kudish and Arab tribes, who share disdain for the Assad regime, but feel as if they would even less of a say in post-Assad Syria.

Syrian violence also spilled over into the Northern Lebanese city of Tripoli for the last several days, as sectarian tensions produced gun battles pitting anti-Assad versus pro-Assad factions. Tripoli, a predominantly Sunni city, is largely hostile to the Assad regime. The arrest of Shadi al-Mawlawi, a Sunni Cleric and outspoken critic of Assad, reportedly ignited rage among his followers, sparking unrest.

Overall, more than 900 people have been reported killed since the Annan-brokered ceasefire came into effect on April 12.  EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said the “continuing violence is appalling” and said the EU would support Mr. Annan “as long as he wishes,” as the EU introduced its 15^th round of sanctions on the regime. Russia’s foreign minister Gennady Gatilov defended Russia’s continued weapons sales to Syria saying that they were only defensive weapons, and urged the West to do more to persuade the opposition into talks. He cited the spillover into neighboring Tripoli and last weeks suicide bombing as concrete evidence of Al-Qaeda activity.

The results of last week’s parliamentary election will be made public tomorrow as well. Ellen Lust writes that by holding elections, the regime signaled that its departure “is unthinkable,” and it remains in complete control. By holding elections while shelling continues, Assad can use elections to promote a sense of ‘normalcy,’ reassuring Syrian people that his fall is anything but inevitable. Tim Lister warns of a growing regional conflict, and says only Russia and Iran have the influence necessary to persuade Assad to stop the crackdown. Aaron David Miller says that the proposal to create safe zones in Syria is a “dangerous step toward war.”

Photo Credit: Al Masry Al Youm

Last Friday marked the first day of voting for Egyptian expatriates. According to Egyptian media, 57,000 Egyptians have already voted (Arabic).  Turnout has been particularly high in Saudi Arabia, home of nearly half of the 587,000 registered voters abroad. Qatar state media also reported a high turnout, while Kuwait detained five Egyptians briefly for passing out leaflets in support of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi, in violation of Kuwait’s zero tolerance policy of campaigning. In contrast to the Gulf states, Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S. Sameh Shoukry said voting has been low in that country, with only 6% of eligible expats casting their ballots. Egyptian authorities also reiterated (Arabic) they will allow the 99 expats registered in Israel to vote, despite calls by some Egyptians not to allow any Egyptian living in Israel to vote. Voting abroad will end on May 17. Diplomatic sources said that the results of voting in Saudi Arabia will be released on May 24, the second day of voting in Egypt.

Several Egyptian papers conducted polls among expats that show former foreign minister Amr Moussa with the lead, and former prime-minister Ahmed Shafiq edging out Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh for second place.

The coalition of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika emerged victorious in last week’s parliament elections.  The elections resulted (French) in the nomination of 145 women to Parliament that hosts 462 representative, increasing their representation from 7% to 31%.

The U.S. and the European Union praised Algeria for holding elections and observed them as an important step toward reform.  U.S. Secretary of  State, Hillary Clinton ”congratulated” Algerians and stated ”The Government of Algeria invited international and non-governmental organizations to send observation missions and conducted elections that provided the Algerian people with the opportunity to express their will.” Hanafi Wajih, the head of the Arab League’s observer mission, said ”The election was free and transparent and the Algerian people have expressed their choice without coercion.”

It has been suggested (French) that Algeria may be a possible exception in North Africa where many of its neighbors witnessed revolution. Al Jazeera’s Inside story, asked if “Algeria is immune to the Arab Spring?”  Fatigue from more than a decade of violent civil war, close relations with Europe, and the understanding that stability is necssary to improve economic partnership with EU may have prevented Algeria from massive unrest.  However, Mohamed Libra Zito, former Algerian diplomat, asserts that there was a potential for youth-led revolt. Youssef Bouandel, Professor of International Affairs, believes that changes in Algeria will follow a top bottom process and will not result from popular protest.

Photo credit: La Vie Eco

Prominent Moroccan rapper Mouad Belghouat, whose stage name is al-Haqed, was sentenced to one year in prison for attacking the image of the security services and “showing contempt” in a song about police corruption. At the sentencing, Belghouat’s defense team wasn’t present and the rapper remained in jail during the proceedings. Al-Haqed has been in custody since March 29 when he was arrested for his song entitled “Kilab Al Dawla” or “Dogs of the State.” The charge against Belghouat stemmed from a YouTube video of the song, which includes images of Moroccan police officers and a depiction of police office with a donkey’s head. Al-Haqed’s website and Facebook page have posted responses critical of the ruling, and Human Rights Watch condemned the decision as well, suggesting that it “shows the gap between the strong free-expression language in Morocco’s 2011 constitution and the continuing intolerance for those who criticize state institutions.” Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said ”Morocco hosts one famous international music festival after another each spring, but meanwhile it imprisons one of its own singers solely because of lyrics and images that displease the authorities.”

Meanwhile, a young woman wearing a short modern dress in a Rabat market was allegedly assaulted by people described as Salafists who beat the woman and stripped her of her clothing. Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane responded by defending personal liberties: “I believe in freedom, God created us free. Who is Benkirane to tell Moroccans to shave your beards or to impose the hijab? Individual liberties are sacred and are not to be touched.” Human rights group Beit Al-Hikma expressed fears that the attack “would block the move towards democracy, freedoms and the rule of law”.

Prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, who was recently arrested for “inciteful” tweets, had his detention extended by another week. His lawyer, Mohamed al-Jishi, said Rajab is facing two trials: one on May 16th for his tweets, and one on May 22nd, for having participated in a protest in January.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are expected to push toward a broad security and economic union today, an agreement that regional power Saudi Arabia hopes will spur a similar tightening of ties with other Gulf countries. Bahraini Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman has welcomed the deal, saying the GCC must “concentrate during this period on achieving and ensuring security and increasing co-ordination in the fields of security, military and defence by adopting a unified Gulf security structure to protect the council’s states.” The Gulf Forum for Civil Societies, however, opposed the idea and asked for a postponement, adding, “We urge the Saudi and Bahraini leaderships to review such a step and calculate the reactions of the two peoples.” Mohammed al-Qahtani, a board member at the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, sees beyond the military and economic interests and said, “The real issue is the survival of these family-based regimes. That’s all it is – they will do whatever it takes to maintain the status quo but I think their time is running out.”

Patrick Cockburn describes the union as a “blow to the Shia protest movement,” and Michael Stephen agrees. “Any merger between the nations will be likely to inflame the delicate sectarian balance in the tiny Kingdom yet further,” Stephen says, ”a situation which requires genuine political reform, and not military and economic mergers.” David Roberts writes that there is still significant U.S. security involvement in the Gulf, and argues, “Only when America … finally leave[s] the Gulf will the Gulf States be truly forced to come to terms with their own security situation and will potentially countenance subsuming their national proclivities for a collective alliance.”

Photo: Al-Ghad/Muhammad Abu Oush

After the resignation of former prime minister Awn Al-Khasawneh, Tamer al-Samadi writes in al-Hayat that the Jordanian people continue (Arabic) to ponder the reasons behind his abrupt retirement. Al-Khasawneh claims to have resigned in protest of continuous intervention into the decision making process of the government by the Monarchy. His replacement, Fayez al-Tarawneh, is described as “a right-wing governor” and hostile towards reform advocates, which Tarawneh has denied. Samadi says sources close to the royal palace told al-Hayat that the appointment of Tarawneh confirms a decline of U.S. pressure on the monarchy to implement reforms, assumptions that reinforce decision maker’s convictions that the Arab spring is drawing to a close. Opposition leader Labib Kambawi says that the appointment of Tarawneh has “set the stage for an anti-reform movement within the decision-making bodies.”

Protesters continue (Arabic) to take to the streets in order to display their discontent over the current status quo. In the Al-Tafilah neighborhood of Amman, young activists gathered and created banners calling on Jordanian King Abdullah II to implement real reforms that would empower the people and that “the mechanism of the royal appointment of governments is no longer feasible.”  Jordan is currently facing an economic crisis, with as much as 15% of the population living under the poverty line.  An estimated 40% of the population works in the public sector. Protesters are demand an end to corruption, lower prices for commodities, the release of family members held in Israeli prisons, greater representation, a real reform process, and an end to the peace treaty with Israel. Friday protesters took to the streets under the banner, “What don’t you understand?”

Earlier this week, twin suicide bombings tore through the center of Damascus resulting in the deaths of an estimated 55 people. Even as the U.N. mission expands, violence has continued and reamins persistent throughout all areas of Syria. The Associated Press reported the deaths of eight despite the increased U.N. which stands at around half its expected size with 145 members currently on the ground.

The al-Nusra Front to Protect the Levant released a video today claiming responsibility for the events, and warned that Alawites will answer for “massacres against the Sunni people” promising that “what is coming will be more calamitous.” Syria expert at the Monterey Institute of International Studies Bilal Y. Saab, says “Syria is slowly but surely turning into another Iraq.” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said he didn’t know what group was responsible for the bombings in Damascus, but affirmed that al-Qaeda’s presence in Syria has increased. Meanwhile, Secretary General of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah addressed supporters in Beirut reminding them that the “Friends of Syria” are the same countries that declared the liberation of Iraq.

Ryan Spencer writes in The Telegraph that the chances of international intervention in Syria are getting more and more remote. Yochi Dreazen writes in the National Journal that the Obama administration will have to deecide soon on whether to stick to the current diplomatic route despite no sign that Bashar al-Assad will be persuaded to step down, or consider arming the rebels despite the risks that further militarization risks destabilizing the country. David Ignatius writes that Obama’s believes that part of the opposition “could be worse than Assad”  and worries that “a protracted struggle is empowering precisely these people.”

While “mindful” of the ongoing human rights concerns in Bahrain, the U.S. State Department announced the decision to resume arm sales to the gulf kingdom yesterday afternoon, citing national security interests.State Department officials claim that none of the items included in the sale could foreseeably be used against protesters. ”The US maintains the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and backs the kingdom firmly,” said Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN).  ”Some differences may emerge between both countries from time to time but I hope that long-term partnership and co-operation will continue.”

Josh Rogin writes in Foreign Policy that the decision coincides with the visit Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Khalifa‘s trip to Washington, where he met with U.S. officials including Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Rep. John Kerry (D-MA), and Rep. John McCain (R-AZ). He writes that outside experts believe the sale was made to “strengthen the crown prince in his struggle inside the ruling family,” and that the administration seeks to empower the crown prince as a reformer.

The decision was met with immediate criticism from government officials, human rights experts, and pro-democracy advocates. ”The State department’s decision is essentially giving away the store without the government of Bahrain bringing anything to the table,” said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) affirmed mutual interests between the U.S. and Bahrain, the decision to proceed with the sale sends the wrong message. “The Government of Bahrain has yet to respect the Bahraini people’s legitimate demands, or to hold accountable its own police and military officers for arresting, torturing, and killing Bahraini protesters,” said Leahy

“The administration didn’t want the crown prince to go home empty-handed because they wanted to empower him,” said Tom Malinowski, the Washington director of Human Rights Watch, however “there’s no guarantee the government will do what we all hope it does.”  Cole Bockenfeld, director of advocacy at the Project on Middle East Democracy said that while the administration may want to empower the prince as a reformer, the decision still sends the wrong message. “No matter how you look at it here in Washington, on the street in Bahrain this will be perceived as the U.S. supporting a regime that is still doing horrible things.”

The party of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika strengthened its presence in the government after yesterday’s parliamentary elections.  The National Liberation Front (FLN) won 220 out of the 462 seats in the national assembly. The second party of the ruling coalition, the National Rally for Democracy (RND) of Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, a party close to the military, won 68 seats. Whereas the Green Allliance, a three-party Islamist alliance, garnered 48 seats.

This Assembly will be in charge or reforming the current Constitution. As a result of the elections, the FLN and the RND control 62% of the seats, in contrast to previous elections where Islamists parties garnered much of the votes. During a press conference, Interior Minister Ould Kablia stated, ”The election has reinforced the Algerian people’s attachment to the values of peace and stability.”  However, Riccard Fabiani, North Africa analyst with Eurasia Group, said the outcome of the election will increase the level of discontent with the ruling elite, which “will continue to pose significant risks to stability.”

The Islamist parties claimed the elections were fraudulent. “Of course there was fraud,” said Abderrazzak Mukri, campaign manager of the Green Alliance. EU observers called the elections “a step toward reform.” One observer, Jose Ignacio Salafranca, said that there were few irregularities in the voting process. However, the results are sharply contrast with analysts predictions and the experience of Tunisia’s neighbors. The voter turnout figures announce by Kablia, 42%, is inconsistent with many reports of abstention. Algerian political analyst Lahouari Addi called the election results “impossible” and estimated turnout figures closer to 20%. Former member of the Hamas party Aboudjerra Soltani said that electoral fraud would simply, “delay the Algerian spring.” The opposition has delivered (French) a report accusing the interior ministry of fraud. Larbi Sadiki called the elections, “elections without democracy.”

On Thursday, The International Republican Institute (IRI) hosted an event discussing successes and challenges facing Arab countries in transition and others, as well as implications of these efforts for the future of the Arab Spring. Moderating the discussion was Olin L. Wethington, member of the Board of Directors of IRI. The panel featured Marwan Muasher, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Michele Dunne, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, and Khaled Huneifat, former mayor of Tafileh, Jordan.

For full event notes, continue reading below or click here for the PDF Read more…

photo courtesy of Al Jazeera English

Citing national security interests, Victoria Nuland, spokesperson for the State Department, released a statement which details the Administration’s decision to “release additional items and services for the Bahrain Defense Force, the Coast Guard, and the National Guard for the purpose of helping Bahrain maintain its external defense capabilities.” According to Nuland, while taking into consideration “a number of serious unresolved human rights issues…the Government of Bahrain needs to address,” the items that will be released are not intended for use in crowd control. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed similar sentiment days prior, saying “that much work remains to fully address ongoing human rights issues.” Nuland blamed the Government of Bahrain and the opposition for the ongoing violence, and urged both sides to work together.

While the Administration has recently released “additional items and services” to the Bahrain Navy, this action comes after H.J. Res. 80 attempted to suspend the sale. In addition, in February, multiple members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to “express our opposition to the Adminstration’s decision to move forward with the sale of a limited number of military items and services to Bahrain,” as they “believe that any such  sale at this time sends the wrong signal to Bahrain and the world about America’s commitment to the promotion and protection of  human rights.”

***UPDATE***

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Jim McGovern, who have for months urged the administration to abandon the sale they say will send the wrong message to the Bahraini’s–and the world–about U.S.’s commitment to human rights, deplored (subscription only) the administration’s decision. “This is exactly the wrong time to be selling arms to the government of Bahrain. Things are getting worse, not better,” Wyden said in a statement.   “Until there is more substantial and lasting progress on human rights, I will continue to oppose arms sales to Bahrain and (will) work in Congress on legislative options to address this issue,” said McGovern.

Brian Dooley of Human Rights First said “This sale is completely out of step with the United States’ stated commitment to reform in Bahrain.”

On Wednesday, SyracuseUniversity’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs hosted a conference entitled, “Building Civil Society After the Arab Spring: Progress, Challenges, Needs.” The conference explored the long lasting implications of the Arab Spring on U.S.foreign policy as well as American business from a variety of perspectives. The panelists were moderated by Chad Tragakis, senior vice president in Corporate Practice, and Michael Schneider director of the Washington Public Diplomacy Program. The third discussion featured Farah Anwar Pandith, special representative to Muslim Communities for the U.S. Department of State since 2009.

For the full text of the notes, continue reading below or click here for the PDF. Read more…

On Thursday, Tunisia  facilitated a Jewish pilgrimage to one of the oldest synagogues in Africa, El Ghriba, on Tunisia’s Djerba island. The pilgrimage traditionally attracted thousands of visitors, but turnout declined dramatically following an al-Qaeda attack in 2002 that killed 21. This year’s turnout was 200, and Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali made statements at the International Congress of World Tourism confirming that “Tunisia is an open and tolerant society, we will be proud to have Jewish pilgrims visit El Ghriba as they have in the past.” However, Basma Jbali of Ennahda warned that, “massive purchases of land by Jews in Djerba could turn the island into a second Palestine.” According to Kouichi Shiranyagi, Tunisia’s treatment of their Jewish minority could serve as a model for other Arab populations.  The intellectual leader of Ennahda, Rached Gannouchi, has called for the protection of the Jewish community, while Salafi’s remain more hostile.

Additionally, the Tunisian government granted a license to a Salafi political party. The Islah Front (Reform Front), whose members did not want to be part of the parliament election in 2011, will be eligible to participate in the next legislative elections in 2013.  Mohammed Khoja, the head of the Reform Front, stated “We will not impose anything like clothing or anything else. Our party will be open to all Tunisians who agree with our principles, the principles of reform within the Islamic heritage.”

Meanwhile, speaker of the parliament Mustapha Ben Jaafar announced that the constitution would be complete within a year as promised before the last elections.

On Wednesday, Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs hosted a conference, sponsored by Hill & Knowlton Inc., titled “Building Civil Society After the Arab Spring: Progress, Challenges, Needs.” The third panel discussed, “The Role of ‘Outside’ Supporters: Government, NGO, Education, the Diaspora.” Panelists were Aimee Fullman, manager of cultural relations and networks at the British Council, Cole Bockenfeld, director of advocacy at the Project on Middle East Democracy, Andrée Simon, acting CEO of Women for Women International, Barbara Haig, deputy to the president for policy and strategy at the National Endowment for Democracy, and Mirelle Karam Halim, operations manager at Creative Associates.

For full event notes, continue reading below or click here for the PDF

Read more…

Principal Bahraini opposition party Al-Wefaq released a statement in response to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton‘s call for “meaningful institutional and political reforms that take into account the interests and aspirations.” The party welcomed Clinton’s statement, saying the “interests and aspirations” to which Clinton referred “have been clearly demonstrated [...] through the persistent calls for democracy” and that a majority of Bahrainis have “continuously demanded an inclusive democracy, starting with an elected government that represents the will of the people.” The release says that Bahraini authorities have yet to take “any meaningful steps” towards meeting the wishes of its people, adding that any reforms done until now have been “purely cosmetic.”

Meanwhile, reports have emerged of overnight clashes between police and protesters in the villages surrounding Manama, with forces firing bird shot and tear gas at the demonstrators. According to witnesses, several civilians were wounded, and many of the protesters were reportedly carrying photographs of detained human rights activist Nabeel Rajab.

Finally, Elliot Abrams writes that the deteriorating situation in Bahrain is owed largely to a severe lack of leadership from both the Bahraini royal family and the Obama Administration. He suggests that since the publication of the BICI report, King Hamad “has provided no leadership,” while he contends that, aside from a few statements, the United States has done “nothing” to alleviate the building tension between the royal family and the opposition. According to Abrams, real efforts need to made to reach an agreement, such as bringing “key Bahraini leaders to Washington and [having] the President and Secretary or a high-level designee work with them day after day until something is hammered out; [and sending] a top-level empowered emissary to Manama for the same purpose.”

On Thursday, the Woodrow Wilson Center hosted an event exploring whether the Arab Awakening has marginalized al-Qaeda or has presented opportunities. The speakers included Jon Alterman, the Director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Barak Barfi, a research fellow at the New America Foundation, Daniel Byman, a professor at Georgetown, and Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Bruce Hoffman, director for the Center for Peace and Security Studies and Security Studies Program at Georgetown University, moderated.

For full event notes, continue reading below or click here for the PDF

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On Thursday, May 10, 2012, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) held a conference entitled “Security Sector Transformation in North Africa and the Middle East.”  In the first panel, featuring representatives from the region, the speakers were: Radwan Masmoudi, President of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy in Tunisia; Magda Boutros, Criminal Justice Reform Director at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights; Dr. Murhaf Jouejati, Chairman of the National Consensus Movement and Member of the Syrian National Council; Najila Elmangoush, former member of the National Transitional Council’s Public Engagement unit in Libya, Rana Jarhum, human rights activist in Yemen; and Hesham Sallam, a researcher at Georgetown University and in Egypt. In the second panel, featuring former U.S. ambassadors to the region, the speakers were: Ambassador Rust Deming, former U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia (2000-2003); Ambassador Deborah Jones, former U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait (2008-2011); Ambassador Thomas Riley, former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco (2003-2009); and Ambassador Barbara Bodine, former U.S. Ambassador to Yemen (1997-2001).

For full event notes, continue reading below or click here for the PDF Read more…

On Wednesday, Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs hosted a conference, sponsored by Hill & Knowlton Inc., titled “Building Civil Society After the Arab Spring: Progress, Challenges, Needs.” The conference explored the long lasting implications of the Arab Spring on United States’ foreign policy and the American business sector from a variety of perspectives. The conference was moderated by Chad Tragakis, senior vice president in Corporate Practice, and Michael Schneider, director of the Washington Public Diplomacy Program. The second discussion was entitled “The Impact and Current Role of Social Media and New Communication,” and featured Kara Hadge, head of digital media at the British Council, Jamal Dajani, producer and vice president of Middle East, North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean Internews Network and Ibrahim, and Yousif Shebani, LDF fellow and chief editor and founder of the ‘Libyan’ Magazine.

For the full text of the notes, continue reading below or click here for the PDF. Read more…

On Wednesday, Benha Administrative Court ruled that the Egyptian presidential elections, scheduled for May 23 and 24, had to be suspended because the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) did not have the authority to tell voters to cast ballots on those days.  On Thursday, the head of the Benha Court, Hatem Ammer, clarified that this did not mean halting the elections, but “rather makes the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission call to vote illegitimate, since it’s SCAF’s authority to make this call.” The SPEC disregarded the administrative court’s decision and said the upcoming elections would be held on schedule.

Egypt’s first presidential debate is scheduled , as front-runners Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh will debate former foreign minister Amr Moussa. The Guardian has a live updated blog of the event. Meanwhile, Ahram Online notes that Friday marks the start for expat voters abroad.

Finally, Shadi Hamid writes about his meeting with presidential candidate Abouel Fotouh. Hamid describes Abouel Fotouh’s campaign as a big-tent movement that enjoys a range of support, including young liberals such as Google executive Wael Ghonim and conservatives like the Salafi al-Nour party. Hamid notes that part of Abouel Fotouh’s success is his ability to bridge the religious divide, when he notes that liberals and leftists also respect Islamic values.

During a meeting with Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed that “much work remains to fully address ongoing human rights issues [in Bahrain].”  State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland suggested that Bahrain had “made some progress [regarding human rights], but we want to see more progress,” and that the administration has addressed the case of Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and other cases of concern.

Additionally, the case of twenty Bahraini medics sentenced for allegedly aiding anti-government protests harming patients has been delayed until June 14, according to the medics’ lawyer. The medics received varying sentences of 5 to 15 years for their supposed crimes from a now-disbanded military court. Meanwhile, Bahraini opposition members staged protests demanding the release of female prisoners held by the government. Bahrain’s Ministry of Information tweeted: “Groups of thugs blocked various roads today morning. Legal procedures were taken and the situation was brought to normal.”

Also, Paul Weaver writes that Formula One Racing occupied the “moral low ground” when it allowed the race to proceed in Manama in April. He asserts that “The sport should not have been anywhere near the place last month. It was plain wrong.” Weaver says F1 seriously tarnished its reputation by proceeding with the race, and that the “sport should never be allowed to forget what it did in Bahrain last month.”