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A Saudi Shia Muslim has been sentenced to thirty years in prison for throwing petrol bombs at security forces during a protest against Riyadh\\\'s intervention in Bahrain in 2011. The defendant was found guilty of violence and taking part in protests in Qatif in Eastern Province. Saudi Arabia has intervened in Bahrain by sending troops to keep down an uprising there. The uprising in Bahrain is demanding democratic reforms for the Shia majority. The prosecutor had originally demanded the death penalty and is now expected to appeal to a higher court.

[09 June 2014] Saudi court sentences 2 Shia activists to death, another to 25 years in prison - English

[09 June 2014] Saudi court sentences 2 Shia activists to death, another to 25 years in prison - English

[30 Mar 2014] A Bahraini court sentences 13 pro-democracy activists to life in prison - English

A Bahraini court has sentenced 16 Shia activists to seven years in prison each for taking part in anti-government protests. This is the latest in a series of convictions the Bahraini regime has imposed against protesters - among them prominent rights activist Nabil Rajab. Rajab was arrested in late 2012 and is currently serving a two-year sentence. Rights groups have repeatedly called for his release but Bahraini authorities have refused to free him from jail. The arrests and trials come against the backdrop of unabated protests in the Persian Gulf Kingdom against the rule of the Al Khalifah monarchy.

[09 May 2014] Saudi court gives youth activities heavy prison sentences - English

[26 May 2014] Court in Bahrain sentences four to life in prison on terrorism charges - English

[27 Apr 2014] Minya court hands lengthy sentences to 63 Brotherhood supporters - English

[06 June 2012] Cairo witnesses another mass demonstration - English

Saudi Arabia has sentenced a Shia activist to 13 years in jail and a 15-year travel ban. Human Rights Watch says a judge convicted Adel al-Labbad in the Eastern Province on Thursday. Labbad faced a total of five charges, including disobedience to the ruler and disturbing public order. Media across the kingdom has not yet reported on the sentence. Meanwhile, the Saudi public prosecutor has demanded the death penalty for a 20-year-old man accused of participating in anti-regime protests. Saudi Arabia is one of the most repressive countries in the world where there\'s zero tolerance for dissent.

Detailed report on the heavy prison sentences handed down to a number of the protesters against the Gaza War by British courts. The protesters were demonstrating outside the Israeli Embassy in January 2009 against the Israeli Onslaught on Gaza, they were implicated in minor scuffles with police which has now led to their incarceration. Recorded February 13, 2010 at 1030GMT

[28 June 2012] Opposition activists in Bahrain want Bahrain king son arrested - Comment (Part 1) - English Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa is the head of Bahrain's Olympic committee and is due to lead the country's delegation during the Olympics Games in London. But according to Bahraini opposition members, he's also a sadistic torturer who's been personally involved in crushing anti-regime demonstrations by force. They also say he has cheer-led the persecution of Bahraini athletes opposed to the Al Khalifa dictatorship. Nasser bin Hamad is the King of Bahrain's 25 year old son. Activists say he can be seen here preparing to participate in quelling anti-regime demonstrations by force. According to the Bahraini opposition, anti-regime athletes have been abducted, taken to torture chambers and subjected to horrific treatment. And Nasser's voice can be heard here on Bahraini state TV, condemning calls for regime change in the country. With the Olympic Games around one month away the British government has banned the Syrian Olympic Committee chief from entering the country because of alleged links to repression in his country. But London hasn't taken the same steps against its Persian Gulf ally Bahrain. Saeed Shehabi, meanwhile, is calling for Nasser bin Hamad to be arrested for crimes against humanity if he sets foot on British soil. On the other hand, in a letter to the Guardian newspaper, Bahrain has denied the allegations against Nasser bin Hamad al Khalifa. Britain and Bahrain have close military, economic and political ties and this hasn't changed despite the al Khalifa crackdown on the opposition. But if Nasser bin Hamad al Khalifa is allowed to come to the Olympic Games it will shine a brighter spotlight on the UK's close ties with the Persian Gulf dictatorship.

Human rights activists say the beating and torture of children is continuing in the Ukraine despite the new Criminal Code and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the government last year. The inhumane and degrading treatment of children is endemic in many countries. But the situation in the Ukraine is worse, as the lack of data makes the magnitude of the problem difficult to ascertain.

[23nd June 2016] Egypt government appeals court ruling on islands deal | Press TV English

The Syrian information minister says Saudi Arabia is responsible for death and destruction throughout the Muslim world today, including in Syria.

An Egyptian court has sentenced 26 people to death for plotting attacks on ships in the Suez Canal. The men, who were tried in their absence, were charged while in custody. The court accuses the defendents of founding and leading a terrorist cell, which wanted to disrupt the major shipping route. It also referred the verdict to the Grand Mufti of Cairo, who now has to validate the sentences. The recent spate of violence has rocked Egypt, after former president Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the military in July, and placed under arrest. The latest ruling comes as another court in the country sentenced over 2-hundred Morsi supporters to prison over a variety of charges on Tuesday.

The crackdown on dissent continues in Bahrain where a court has sentenced 13 people to jail for allegedly trying to kill policemen. Twelve of these Bahrainis received a 10-year jail term. Another person was given a three- year sentence. They had all taken part in an anti-regime demonstration. In a separate case at another court in the Bahraini capital Manama, a policeman was acquitted of attempting to murder a protester because of what was called insufficient proof. The legal proceedings against protesters have been described as show trials by rights activists. The Bahraini regime has harshly cracked down on pro-democracy demonstrations which began in the Persian Gulf kingdom in early 2011.

Saudi Ayatollah Nimr Al-Nimr Dares Saudi Regime to Attack Iran and Declares: We Are Loyal to Allah, Not to Saudi Arabia or its Royal Family Following are excerpts from a Friday sermon delivered by Saudi Ayatollah Nimr Al-Nimr, which was posted on the Internet on October 7, 2011. Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr is from the city of Awwamiyah in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia. He is an outspoken Shia cleric known for his criticism of the Saudi government and his constant call for freedom of religion, equality, and justice for the Shia minority in Saudi Arabia. In 2009, Al-Nimr said that the dignity of the Saudi Shia is more precious than the unity of the land, and suggested that Saudi Shia might secede from Saudi Arabia. Fearing arrest, Al-Nimr currently is in hiding. Nimr Al-Nimr: �For the past 100 years, we have been subjected to oppression, injustice, fear, and intimidation. From the moment you are born, you are surrounded by fear, intimidation, persecution, and abuse. We were born into an atmosphere of intimidation. We feared even the walls. Who among us is not familiar with the intimidation and injustice to which we have been subjected in this country? I am 55 years old, more than half a century. From the day I was born and to this day, I�ve never felt safe or secure in this country. �You are always being accused of something. You are always under threat. The head of the State Security Service admitted this to me in person. He said to me when I was arrested: �All you Shi�ites should be killed.� That is their logic. The head of the State Security Service in the Eastern Province said so himself. [...] �They are still plotting to carry out a massacre. They are more than welcome. We are here. Our blood is a small price to pay in defense of our values. We do not fear death. We long for martyrdom. [...] �A few months ago, the flame of honor was sparked in the spirits of the youth. The torch of freedom was lit. The people took to the streets demanding reform, honor, and freedom. There are people who have been held in prison unjustly for more than 16 years. In addition, the Peninsula Shield Force and the Saudi army invaded Bahrain. Then there were more and more arrests. �So who was it who instigated strife and unrest? [...] �The strife and unrest in Awwamiya were instigated by the regime, not the people. [...] �We will continue to defend both the veteran and the new prisoners. We will stand by them. We don�t mind being arrested, and joining them. We don�t even mind shedding our blood for their sake. We will continue to express even stronger solidarity with Bahrain. It is our own kin in Bahrain. Even if the Saudi army and the Peninsula Shield Force had not intervened, it still would have been our duty to stand by the people of Bahrain, our kin, let alone when the Saudi army takes part in oppression, the killing, the violation of women�s honor, and the plundering of money. [...] �[The Saudi regime says] that we are acting �at the behest of a foreign country.� They use that false pretext. By �foreign country� they mean Iran, of course. You can�t really tell if it�s Iran, Turkey, a European country, or the U.S., but they usually mean Iran. In December 1978, there was an Intifada to defend the honor of Awwamiya, when the riot police attacked the town. This was on December 10, 1978, before the Shah was deposed, before the Islamic Republic of Iran was even established. �It was in 1978 � four months before the fall of the Shah. A group of people convened to perform the religious rite of taziyeh for Imam Hussein. It had nothing to do with political or security matters, but the security forces arrived and attacked them, and a confrontation ensued. People were defending themselves, as well as their faith and their honor. That night, they arrested 100 people. This was in December 1978, prior to the fall of the Iranian [Shah]. So how can they talk about foreign interferen

Saudi Ayatollah Nimr Al-Nimr Dares Saudi Regime to Attack Iran and Declares: We Are Loyal to Allah, Not to Saudi Arabia or its Royal Family Following are excerpts from a Friday sermon delivered by Saudi Ayatollah Nimr Al-Nimr, which was posted on the Internet on October 7, 2011. Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr is from the city of Awwamiyah in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia. He is an outspoken Shia cleric known for his criticism of the Saudi government and his constant call for freedom of religion, equality, and justice for the Shia minority in Saudi Arabia. In 2009, Al-Nimr said that the dignity of the Saudi Shia is more precious than the unity of the land, and suggested that Saudi Shia might secede from Saudi Arabia. Fearing arrest, Al-Nimr currently is in hiding. Nimr Al-Nimr: �For the past 100 years, we have been subjected to oppression, injustice, fear, and intimidation. From the moment you are born, you are surrounded by fear, intimidation, persecution, and abuse. We were born into an atmosphere of intimidation. We feared even the walls. Who among us is not familiar with the intimidation and injustice to which we have been subjected in this country? I am 55 years old, more than half a century. From the day I was born and to this day, I�ve never felt safe or secure in this country. �You are always being accused of something. You are always under threat. The head of the State Security Service admitted this to me in person. He said to me when I was arrested: �All you Shi�ites should be killed.� That is their logic. The head of the State Security Service in the Eastern Province said so himself. [...] �They are still plotting to carry out a massacre. They are more than welcome. We are here. Our blood is a small price to pay in defense of our values. We do not fear death. We long for martyrdom. [...] �A few months ago, the flame of honor was sparked in the spirits of the youth. The torch of freedom was lit. The people took to the streets demanding reform, honor, and freedom. There are people who have been held in prison unjustly for more than 16 years. In addition, the Peninsula Shield Force and the Saudi army invaded Bahrain. Then there were more and more arrests. �So who was it who instigated strife and unrest? [...] �The strife and unrest in Awwamiya were instigated by the regime, not the people. [...] �We will continue to defend both the veteran and the new prisoners. We will stand by them. We don�t mind being arrested, and joining them. We don�t even mind shedding our blood for their sake. We will continue to express even stronger solidarity with Bahrain. It is our own kin in Bahrain. Even if the Saudi army and the Peninsula Shield Force had not intervened, it still would have been our duty to stand by the people of Bahrain, our kin, let alone when the Saudi army takes part in oppression, the killing, the violation of women�s honor, and the plundering of money. [...] �[The Saudi regime says] that we are acting �at the behest of a foreign country.� They use that false pretext. By �foreign country� they mean Iran, of course. You can�t really tell if it�s Iran, Turkey, a European country, or the U.S., but they usually mean Iran. In December 1978, there was an Intifada to defend the honor of Awwamiya, when the riot police attacked the town. This was on December 10, 1978, before the Shah was deposed, before the Islamic Republic of Iran was even established. �It was in 1978 � four months before the fall of the Shah. A group of people convened to perform the religious rite of taziyeh for Imam Hussein. It had nothing to do with political or security matters, but the security forces arrived and attacked them, and a confrontation ensued. People were defending themselves, as well as their faith and their honor. That night, they arrested 100 people. This was in December 1978, prior to the fall of the Iranian [Shah]. So how can they talk about foreign interferen

[17 March 2015] Cairo court sentences Brotherhood leader & members to death - English

A US federal appeals court has rejected the plea by a Saudi national who\'s serving life in prison for trying to make a bomb. 23-year-old Khalid Ali Aldawsari, a former Texas college student, was convicted nearly two years ago of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Prosecutors said he had collected bomb-making materials in his Lubbock apartment and researched possible targets -- including former President George W. Bush\'s Dallas home. In the appeal to the New Orleans-based court, Aldawsari\'s lawyers contended that the trial judge improperly allowed evidence and gave invalid jury instructions.

Two US police officers have been ordered to stand trial in the death of a mentally ill homeless man following a violent arrest last summer. California's Orange County Superior Court Judge Walter Schwarm made the ruling after a hearing that included surveillance video of the confrontation between the officers and 37-year-old Kelly Thomas in the city of Fullerton. Officer Manuel Ramos is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Jay Cicinelli is charged with involuntary manslaughter and assault or battery by a public officer. Both have pleaded not guilty. The officers confronted Thomas while responding to reports that a homeless man was looking into parked cars at a transit center. "This is another victory, on another battle," said Thomas' father, Ron. "We're going to start a new one with the trial." John Barnett, Ramos' attorney, said he would seek another court's review of Schwarm's ruling and did not expect his client would end up facing a jury trial. "We're disappointed that they were held to answer but we will seek review in an appropriate manner," he told reporters after the ruling. "He believes, and he is innocent." Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said during the hearing that Ramos bullied a shirtless Thomas with his menacing remarks and aggressive stance — actions that would have led anyone to fear they were about to get beaten by police. "Any person, any creature on this earth would have fear at that point," Rackauckas told the court during the preliminary hearing. "You're going to fight or flee because this is an imminent threat of a serious beating by a police officer who is there with a baton and a gun and other police officers.... This is going to be a very bad deal," the prosecutor said. Defence attorneys countered that police — who are authorised and trained to use force when necessary — viewed the incident as an encounter with a man who refused to give his name and continued to resist arrest even as multiple officers rushed to assist. The three-day hearing was marked by repeated showing of clips from surveillance video and audio recordings of the confrontation. The footage includes scenes of officers pummelling and pinning down Thomas as he screams that he can't breathe and moans for his father until he goes silent and is taken away by medics, leaving behind a pool of blood. Barnett, Ramos' attorney, said during the hearing that the video — which was introduced by the prosecution — shows that his client made a conditional threat during his conversation with Thomas, stating he wanted the man to start listening and following police orders, such as sitting with his legs stretched out and providing his name to officers. "All that Kelly Thomas had to do was simply comply," Barnett said. "Officer Ramos just lifts him up, he's going to arrest him. ... Not only can he do it, he must do it. He is bound to do it." "Officer Ramos didn't do anything that should or could kill Kelly Thomas," Barnett said, pointing out that his client is often seen on the video at the man's feet. Prosecutors have argued that Ramos punched Thomas in the ribs, tackled him and lay on him to hold him down while Cicinelli — who arrived later on the scene — used a Taser four times on Thomas as he hollered in pain and hit him in the face eight times with the Taser. Thomas lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital. He was taken off life support and died five days later. The coroner's office found that Thomas died from compression of his chest that made it difficult for him to breathe and deprived his brain of oxygen, and facial injuries stemming from his confrontation with law enforcement. In court, Schwartz, Cicinelli's attorney, challenged those findings, noting that testimony by a paramedic who treated Thomas at the scene indicates that Thomas was breathing, although with difficulty, during the confrontation. Schwartz also defended his client's use of the Taser on Thomas, who was still struggling and resisting officers' efforts to handcuff him, and said Cicinelli only swung the Taser at Thomas' hand when the man made an effort to grab the weapon. "To call that a crime is to effectively handcuff our police officers out in the field from dealing with any combative suspect," Schwartz said. The hearing in a Santa Ana courtroom was marked by lengthy testimony from medical experts and graphic photos of Thomas' injuries, including multiple bruises and a bloodied eye, while he was lying on the autopsy table. Attorneys repeatedly played portions of the grainy surveillance video, which was paired with audio from digital recorders worn by some of the officers who were present and which brought some of Thomas' supporters to tears and prompted them to leave the courtroom. The incident last July prompted an ongoing FBI investigation to determine if Thomas' civil rights were violated, an internal probe by the city, protests by residents and an effort to recall three Fullerton councilmembers that is slated for next month's ballot. The recall was sparked after angry residents chastised the council members for failing to take significant action regarding the incident.

A US appeals court has put Saudi Arabia back as a defendant in lawsuits, saying it had given support to al-Qaeda prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. The federal appeals court in New York City has revived claims by families of victims of the attacks. Another court had previously ruled that Saudi Arabia was protected by a legal privilege which says foreign countries can\'t be sued in American courts. The US says nearly three thousand people were killed in the attacks. It says most of the attackers were Saudi nationals who hijacked planes and flew them into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington.

Saudi authorities have warned against a campaign to give women the right to drive in the conservative kingdom. The warning comes as Saudi female activists are gearing up against a long-standing driving ban, with more defiant women already getting behind the wheel. More than 50 videos showing Saudi women driving have been posted online over the past two weeks. A video, which went viral on the Internet this month, shows a fully veiled woman driving in the capital Riyadh as passing drivers give her a thumbs-up. Under the slogan, Women\'s Driving is a Choice, female activists have called for a demonstration on Saturday against the ban in the country. One Saudi woman by the name of Manal al-Sharif, who was put behind bars a couple of year ago for posting a video of herself while driving, says Saudi women are determined to drive.

The Supreme Court has come into action to expose the role of top officials of previous government of People Party for seeking the US military intervention and denuclearization of Pakistan, a nuclear state. The Court has ordered the newly elected government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to bring back from the US the fugitive Hussain Haqqani, the country\'s ex ambassador to Washington. Haqqani has been refusing to return home citing security concerns since last year when a Judicial Commission found him seeking the US military intervention in Pakistan after US marines carried out an operation to kill top Alqaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in northwest of country in 2011. Haqqani allegedly in league with President Asif Zardari was behind authorizing a memorandum seeking Pentagon\'s help to sack top Pakistani military officials. In return President Zardari would have allowed the direct US military operations to hunt down militants in the country. Javed Rana, Press TV, Islamabad

[01 June 2012] Canadian activists Stop Smart Meters - English

[07 April 2013] Rally against detention of Saudi cleric - English

[10 Apr 2014] The Debate - Shia Slayings (P.1) - English