Help Free Tortured Bahraini Teacher Jaleela Al-Salman from Human Rights First 25OKT11

THE American government claims to support the non-violent protesters calling for freedom, democracy and human rights in the Arab world. The American government participated in NATO actions supporting the Libyan revolution, supported the peaceful protesters in Tunisia and Egypt and has been very supportive of the pro democracy protesters in Syria. BUT the American government has turned it's back on the peaceful pro democracy protesters in Bahrain and turned a blind eye on the brutal reaction of the Bahraini government while they killed hundreds of their own citizens and have arrested, tortured and imprisoned thousands of Bahrainis. Why? The American Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain and the U.S. military-industrial complex makes a lot of money selling weapons to the Bahraini government. The American government should be considering whether the Navy will be allowed to stay in Bahrain once the pro democracy movement actually wins control of the nation. Please sign the petition by Human Rights First calling for the release of Jaleela Al-Salman, a Bahraini teacher active in the movement for freedom, democracy and human rights. She has been arrested again and is facing more torture by the government as long as she is in their custody. Watch her video and click the link to sign....

The Bahraini government isn't just targeting  medics; it's going after teachers too. Two weeks ago, Jaleela Al-Salman, a Bahraini teacher and vice president of the Bahrain Teachers Association, told me that the Bahraini security forces had tortured her when she was in detention earlier this year. Just after we spoke, masked men in civilian clothes broke into her home and abducted her again. There is a very real danger she will be tortured again. Stand with Bahraini activists! Ask the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States, Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, to help free Jaleela immediately and to push for the Bahrain security forces to respect peaceful protests. The Bahraini security forces first took Jaleela into custody in March for supporting the democracy movement. She was detained for over five months—longer than of any other woman arrested in connection to the pro-democracy protests. After a sham trial, a military court sentenced her to three years in prison relying on a confession Jaleela signed after being tortured. She was released pending an appeal scheduled for December. While she was free, Jaleela spoke out about her abuse by the government, and this could be the reason for her re-arrest. Bahrain's pro-democracy protests have been the largest, proportionately, of any country in the Middle East. Hundreds of thousands of citizens have risen up to demand their human rights. The Bahrain monarchy has responded with a violent crackdown. At Human Rights First, we work to make sure that the United States lives up to its ideals on human rights. Bahrain, the home of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, is an important ally of the United States that must not be allowed to violate the rights of its people. We cannot stand by while activists continue to be detained and violently silenced for supporting democracy. Sign the petition now! Human Rights First will deliver this petition to the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States, Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, and urge her to support release for Jaleela and other Bahraini activists fighting for democracy and human rights. Sign now! Sincerely, Brian Dooley Human Rights First

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