Sunday, March 13, 2005
A price for freedom
Following the developments earlier on today, in which the detained Bahrainonline trio were given the choice of being released on 1000BD bail each or detained for another 15 days while the case against them continues, the trio chose option number 2. A brave choice for the following reasons:(1) your freedom is priceless.
(2) your freedom should be unconditional.
(3) 3000BD ($8000) all together is a lot of money by Bahraini standards (in Bahrain you don't get your bail money back apparently.)
(4) they'd rather not live under the uncertainty of being summoned at any moment
(5) taking a moral confrontation for their politically motivated arrest.
Good news is they have been moved to Dry Dock prison where prison standards are higher than Hoora police station. Following the fulfillment of this demand, they quit the hunger strike they started yesterday.
What will the government gain from these arrests? Your guess is as good as mine. Clearly, the defiance shown from the three and their supporters indicates that Bahrainonline will NOT be closed down. Like someone said to me, they can start another 10 Bahrainonline's within a day if need be. What price they are made to pay for this if convicted in a 'court of law' is another issue, today they had a choice, tomorrow after a verdict is announced they probably will not. One thing we know from previous notorious court cases (namely the Khawaja case) is that someone out there has already decided the outcome beforehand and are having fun writing the script.
This strategic moves takes a page from the American civil rights movement. "In their most effective moments, civil rights leaders forced a moral confrontation and did not shy away from jail if it meant being able to expose repression." (Or Does It Explode on Egyptian Ayman Noor)
I just couldn't resist this photo I saw on Bahrainonline.org. Such a cutieeeeeee :
The battle of wills continues, and its another night in a cold prison cell for the three.
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