Tuesday, July 3, 2012 | Categories: News Promo, Past Episodes


Ali Hasan with his mother Khadija Habib. (Hasan Jamali/AP)

Anti-government protests in the capital of Bahrain continue nightly. And the government has cracked down hard on demonstrators and has made many arrests. One of those arrested returns to court this week. A Bahraini judge is expected to hand down a verdict in the case of Ali Jasem. Ali says he was taken to jail, interrogated without a lawyer present and forced to confess to taking part in the protests. If convicted, he faces as many as three years in prison. But Ali Jasem maintains he isn't a dissident... he was just playing. Literally. Ali Jasem is eleven years old.


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11-year-old 'protester' on trial in Bahrain - Ali Jasem

A Bahraini judge is expected to hand down a verdict in the case of Ali Jasem. Ali says he was taken to jail, interrogated without a lawyer present and forced to confess to taking part in the protests. If convicted, he faces as many as three years in prison. But Ali Jasem maintains he isn't a dissident.

His father joins us this morning down the line from their home in the capital, Manama.

We contacted Bahrain's embassies in Washington and London for a response. Our calls were not returned. Bahrain does not have an embassy in Canada.

11-year-old 'protester' on trial in Bahrain - Amnesty International

Ali's is one of thousands of arrests over the course of the 17-month uprising in Bahrein: including protesters, bloggers, and doctors. Bahrain's ruling family has cracked down on the dissent, regularly clearing away protests. There've been 86 deaths, and thousands of injured.

Bahrain has had help from Gulf neighbours the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, which sent in a thousand troops and armoured support to quell the protests at their height. Human Rights groups have been critical of the regime's response to the protests.

Covadonga dela Campa is Amnesty International's lead campaigner on Bahrain and Iraq. And we reached her in London.

This segment was produced by The Current's Lara O'Brien.