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Appeal from Bahrain Writers Association and Bahrain PEN Centre
Bahrain PEN Centre | 18 March 2011
Bahrain Writers Association and Bahrain PEN Centre appeals for help in the face of excessive force being used against the unarmed people of Bahrain who are exercising their legitimate rights for a democratic system.
Since 15th March 2011 unarmed citizens who wereexpressingtheir protests peacefully have been brutally attacked. Systematic attacks by security services on many Shi'ite cities and villages has resulted in a number of deaths and hundreds wounded.
At dawn on Wednesday 16March mounted riot police backed by the armed forces of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates attacked hundreds of families in the sit-in onPearl Squarewithout prior warning,using all kinds offirearms and Apache helicopters and closing all ports to prevent the escape of the protestors. They also prevented the access of medical aid and ambulances.
After that, the main Salmanya hospital was besieged and then raided by riot police. The Bahrain International Hospital and Ibn - Alnafees hospital were also surrounded, and as a result the number of deaths is expected to rise because people could not be treated. More troops from neighbouring countries in the Gulf are expected to arrive in the coming days, in violation of the fundamental principles of freedom and democracy.
Bahrain Writers Association and Bahrain PEN Centre appeal to the international community torapidly intervene to provide protection for the defenseless people of Bahrain in the face of oppression and brute force exercised by the Bahraini authorities and Gulf allies.
Bahrain
16th March 2011
Ahmed Alajmi
ActingPresident
BahrainWriters Association
ajmitooon@gmail.com
ajmi_bh@yahoo.com
Fareed Ramadan
ActingPresident
BahrainPEN Center
Framadan@batelco.bh
Framadan@gmail.com
