As a matter of historical responsibility, this is an appeal from the Bahrain Writers Association and Bahrain PEN Center for help in the face of mass systematic murder against the unarmed people of Bahrain, demanding legitimate rights for a democratic system which respects their rights.
What’s happening in our country since March 15 is genocide and brutal harm against unarmed citizens who were expressing their protests peacefully. Bahrain has witnessed killings and attacks on several cities and villages of the Shi’ite which resulted in a number of deaths and hundreds wounded in the gunfire; as happened in Sitra city and other villages where it has been usurped completely by riot police and the Bahraini army and the armies of GCC. Supported by security were men and soldiers dressed in civilian clothes, which is incompatible with the most basic foundations of ethical and professional security personnel, especially in the case of emergency.
At dawn of Wednesday, March 16, mounted riot police backed by armed force, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates attacked without prior warning against hundreds of families at a sit-in on Pearl Square using all kinds of firearms and Apache helicopters and closed all ports to prevent the escape of the protesters and prevent the access of medical aid and ambulances.
After that, the main Salmanya hospital was besieged and then broken through by riot police in order to arrest the wounded and infringe on the medical staff. Also surrounded the Bahrain international hospital and Ibn-Alnafees hospital, due to that, the number of deaths is expected to rise because people could not be cured, and it also landed a large number of wounded.
The government of Bahrain has proceeded to call the Saudi military forces and UAE and more troops from the Gulf are expected to arrive in order to be used in the suppression of the people of Bahrain who are peaceful and unarmed.
The Bahrain Writers Association and Bahrain PEN Center appeal to the international community, security council, Secretary General of the United Nations and the organization of International PEN and all centres of International PEN and all organizations and cultural institutions and international literary communities to intervene rapidly and to provide protection for the people of Bahrain in the face of oppression, brute force exercised by the system and Gulf allies against the defenseless people.
Ahmed Alajmi is the Acting President of the Bahrain Writers Association and Fareed Ramadan is the Acting President of Bahrain PEN Center.