Jaffar Kadhem

The photograph below is of the discussion in my office at the House about the vicious attack on Thursday evening by three members of the secret police in Bahrain on Jaffar Kadhem, 32, from Demestan. Mr Kadhem was on his way to the house of my friend Mr Hassan Mushaime, Leader of the Haq movement house, when his car was intercepted by an unmarked car. The three occupants dragged him into the car and drove him to a remote corner of the Town of Jidhafs, where they attacked him with fists, batons and shoes all over his body. He was then dumped at the doorsteps of Mr Mushaime’s house. They told him: “Let Mushaime help you”, before leaving him for dead. Mr Mushaime’, 61, called for aid, and the victim was rushed to Al Salmaniya hospital where he was treated for serious injuries to his eyes, face, head and body, see photographs above.

Following strong national and international pressure, and wanting the Formula 1 race to be held without embarrassing political or security incidents, the regime released the many prisoners who were being held without charge or trial last month.Then on April 30, a young Bahraini was killed when his car was blown to pieces by a bomb. Moosa Jaffar Mull Khalil was at the steering wheel when he was killed, and his companion, Ali Abdulla Sa’ad was seriously injured in the blast, losing both eyes and still fighting for his life. There had been other similar atrocities before: Sheikh Abdul Jalil Al Miqdad’s car was being booby-trapped by three assassins in the early hours of the morning of January 17, 2009 when he came out of his house unexpectedly. The killers fled, and the attempt was foiled.