A special report on Al Wasat Newspaper

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A special report on Al-‐Wasat newspaper following the release of falsified information

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Index

No Title Page

1. Introduction 3

2. Arrest of 15-year-old man in Sanad 4-7

3. The arrests and the ongoing preparation of detainees undeclared

8-9

4. 8-year-old child is being subjected to harsh treatment 10-12

5. A citizen fainted after beating him at a "Traffic" checkpoint 13-17

6. Unidentified persons smashed the glass of the car of Dr Hasan Marhoon in Sanad

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7. A young man being assaulted by unknown assailants on the road of Jid Ali

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8. Legal Opinion 26-29

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Introduction

According to a report broadcast on 2 April 2011 by “Al-Rased,” an investigative programme on Bahrain TV, Bahrain newspaper Al Wasat deliberately targeted the security and stability of the Kingdom of Bahrain. It did this through misleading its readers by disseminating false news and reporting fabricated events regarding security developments in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

On the basis of the solid evidence provided in this report, it is proven that Al-Wasat newspaper published a series of fabricated news, a crime punishable by legal sanctions according to the law concerning press, printing and publishing.

The annex of this report reveals that the paper was publishing stories from old Arabic newspapers with changes only to the names of people. The report also proves that the names are fake as some of them are not on the records of some of the Central Informatics Organisation.

The report also reveals that the newspaper published photographs and facts, and the details of incidents and people perceived as events that took place in Bahrain, when in fact the images were related to events outside of Bahrain and to non-Bahrainis, which means human rights organizations and their statements may have derived from information, data, and positions based on false information. This report features only some examples of

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News (1)

The paper published in Issue No.3122 on Friday 25 March, 2011 a story entitled "The arrest of a 15-year-old man in Sanad"

Link:

http://www.alwasatnews.com/3122/news/read/534059/1.html

ووييتتضضحح ممنن االلخخببرر ممااييلليي:

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With reference to the above article:

The picture published is not true and has been retouched to connect it to the news of the Sunni terrorist cell in Hamad Town, which was arrested in 2007. The newspaper sexed up the picture saying it was young Hussein Mansour’s room after inspection.

A screen grab from one of the forums in which the image was published in 2007:

Link to original picture: http://acaciabahrain.com/showArticle.php?id=1125&page=35

Link to the altered picture: http://www.alwasatnews.com/data/2011/3122/pdf/loc7.pdf

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Image from another angle, also published in Al-Ayam newspaper:

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Arrest of 15-year-old man in SANAD

Security forces arrested on Thursday (24 March 2011) the youth Hussein Taher Mansour after storming his house in Sanad.

The family of the young man said that, “we were surprised when the riot police and the army broke into our house from every side to arrest our son who is not more than 15 years old. They also confiscated computers, compact discs, and cassettes.”

They added, “They broke into the house, which was mostly inhabited by women and children, and entered without permission. The riot police burst in from all sides, which made us panic.”

The original story on 16 November, 2010:


Security forces raided at dawn yesterday (Monday) the home of a Bahraini family in the village of Samaheej to arrest a boy (aged 14 years) wanted with regards to a case currently in the courts. A family member said, “They surprised us at dawn yesterday when riot police burst into our house from all sides without any sentiment to the inhabitants of the house with women and children, all in order to arrest my brother, who does not exceed five years of age”. “They broke into the house and entered without permission, as everyone was asleep, and we were surprised to see riot police surrounding us from all sides, which caused us panic, especially as most of them were women and young girls. And that intruding in this way causes the damage to citizens and makes them no longer feel safe at home”. It is clear from the records of the Central Informatics Organisation that "the person claimed to be Hussain Mansoor Taher does not exist in Bahrain”.

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News (2)

The paper (Issue No.3123), issued on Saturday 26 March, 2011 published the story entitled "Arrests continue and the number of detainees are undeclared "

http://www.alwasatnews.com/3123/news/read/534230/1.html With reference to the amended article: : The family of Khalil Al Derazi said, “the riot police raided our house. They broke down the door at 2am yesterday. They started vandalizing posters. A family member was taken inside one of the rooms and was physically and verbally attacked.”

"Khalil, however was detained, after being subjected to physical abuse. The anti riot police also seized two mobile handsets and a laptop that has personal family pictures,” they said. They also condemned the method adopted by security forces.

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As per the original article published on 24 December, 2007: http://www.alwasatnews.com/1935/news/read/269393/1.html Hussain Al Sultana, aged 24 and the brother of detainee Nader Al Sultana, said “the riot police stormed the house at 2am and broke the door. They tore some posters and then took me into one of the the rooms where I was subjected to physical and verbal abuse. However, my brother was abused and then arrested. They confiscated our mobile phone and two laptops, one of the laptops belongs to a brother who is currently in Haj. The laptop had personal photos of the family”. The family expressed their distress at the methods used by the security forces.

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News (3)

The newspaper, issued on Sunday 27 March, 2011, issue number 3124, published an article entitled "An 8-year-old child subjected to cruel treatment".


With reference to the previous article, it is taken from an article published in a Palestinian newspaper about an Israeli policeman. Some paragraphs were manipulated, and the names and locations were changed.

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On Saturday (26 March, 2011), an 8-year-old child was subjected to harsh treatment at the Pearl Complex, next to the Central market, by a government employee. The child’s uncle said “the abuse occurred following afternoon prayers when the child was with his mother and two brothers. They were heading to the children’s gift shop. The shop gave the child a plastic toy gun. As they left the complex, the family were shocked when the policeman tried to take the toy away from the child’s hand by brute force. The policeman hit the child on his chest and his left hand using his weapon. The policeman also verbally abused the child even though the child was bleeding. We then took the child to the hospital and he was treated. His left arm was dislocated.” The original article was published in the Palestinian newspaper on 21 July 2010: An Israeli policeman severely attacked a child from Jerusalem, Wisam Alsiauri, aged 8. He was attacked near Al Qataneen Market, one of the gates of Al Aqsa Mosque. The attack occurred after afternoon prayers with his mother, brother Hussam, aged 7, and sister Rawda aged 2. The family headed to the gift shop that is owned by his grandfather, Haji Mohammad Arif Siauri and located in the Al Qataneen market. The grandfather gave him a plastic toy gun. However at the gate, he was shocked to see an Israeli policeman try to remove the gun from his hand by force. His brother was with him during that time.

"The policeman hit me on my chest using his weapon. He also hit me on my head, I had scratches on my chest and a swollen head. He also pulled my hair and shouted obscene insults. I started screaming for my mother,” said the child.

The link of the story that was plagiarized http://www.arabbab.com/?p=42537

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Note: The newspaper started a comment thread to allow readers to accuse and verbally attack security forces.

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News (4) The newspaper published an article on Monday 28 March, 2011 issue no. 3125. The article was entitled, “Citizen faints after abuse at a traffic checkpoint”. http://www.alwasatnews.com/3125/news/read/534540/1.html

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Summary of article:

Nasser Abdali Hussain Hubail was subjected to abuse and suffered severe injuries to his hand, face and neck at the checkpoint located near the Traffic Directorate building. His brother claimed that the abuse occurred following a misunderstanding and that the police took him to the hospital after he fainted.

This report was plagiarized from a Saudi forum. The forum lifted the article from Al Watan newspaper published on 17/12/2005. The only change made to the article is the name of the injured person and location.

Original report: http//www.wesaal.com/vb/showthread.php?p=160716

Published in Alwasat:

Citizen Nasser Abdali Hussain Hubail was subjected to abuse yesterday (Sunday). He was physically attacked and received severe blows to his hand and was wounded in his face and neck. The attack occurred at the checkpoint in front of the Traffic Directorate building. He fainted after the attack and was transported to the Hamad Kanoo Health Center in Riffa. Published in the original article:

Dhahran police are investigating an incident that occurred in the Eastern Province where a police officer and a number of individuals from the security patrol attacked a citizen (name withheld by Al Watan). The citizen was beaten and sustained severe blows and wounds to his face and neck. The incident occurred yesterday afternoon in Abqaiq, Dammam highway. The citizen then fainted and was transported to the King Fahad Medical Complex in Dhahran.

Publish in Al Wasat:

The citizen's brother told Al Wasat, “that a number of police officers attacked my brother and started beating him. My brother, a trainee interior designer, was heading to a client's house. However he was passing through one of the checkpoints opposite the Traffic Directorate Building and was stopped. He was given a ticket for using his horn to alert a nearby car in order to prevent them from crashing into him. He immediately approached the officer to explain that he did not mean any harm, but the officer would not listen to the explanation. My brother requested to speak to someone more senior who would understand the situation."

Published in the original article:

The citizen, an engineer in Saudi Aramco, told Al Watan that he was heading to his home in Abqaiq when he approached a checkpoint by the Second Industrial City. He was issued a speeding ticket. He approached the officer to explain that this was unfair as he had not been driving above the speed limit but the officer would not listen so he requested to speak to someone more senior.

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Published in Al Wasat:

"The officer refused my brother's request and a verbal exchange occurred between them which ended in the officer attacking my brother and handcuffing him. The officer then started beating and kicking him. The police officer was targeting his face in full view of passing drivers. Other policemen and masked men at the checkpoints joined in the attack,” he continued.

Published in the original article: The citizen explained that the officer refused his request and a verbal exchange occurred between them that ended in the officer attacking my brother and handcuffing him. He then started beating and kicking him. He targeted his face in full view of passing drivers and with the help of some of the policemen at the checkpoint.

Published in Al Wasat: The citizen's brother said that the patrol police themselves took my brother to the health center after he fainted and suffered from asphyxiation. He was treated for injuries all over his body. He called his family but moments later the line was disconnected. Yesterday afternoon (Sunday) we discovered that he had been admitted to hospital.

Published in the original article: The citizen said that the patrol police transported him to the King Fahad Medical Complex after he fainted and suffered from asphyxiation. He was treated for the injuries that were all over his body.

In addition, the image used in the report by Al Wasat had no bearing to the report itself. It is of a Moroccan citizen named Rasheed Alshawi, a member of the secretariat of the High Ranks of Morocco, following clashes with the Moroccan security forces on Wednesday 20 October 2010 (URL: http://attomouhe.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html) Furthermore, after checking the records of the Central Informatics Organization (CIO), it was revealed there is no registered Bahraini by the name of Nasser Abdali Hussain Hubail in Bahrain. The closest name was Naser Ahmed Hussain Hubail, born in 2008.

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بب

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News (5)

The newspaper on Monday 29 March, 2011, published an article entitled "Unidentified men break the car window of Dr Hassan Marhoon in Sanad".

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The article was previously published on Friday 8 October, 2010 in the same newspaper. The report related to MP Adnan Al Malki. The only change that occurred was that the name of the MP was substituted with the name of Dr Hassan Marhoon.

Original article URL: http://alwasatnews.com/2954/news/read/482775/1.html

New article URL: http://www/alwasatnews.com/3126/news/read/534741.1html

The new article was altered as follows: New version in Al Wasat:

Unidentified men yesterday (Sunday 28 March, 2011) smashed the front windows and side mirrors of Dr Hassan Marhoon's car in Sanad, and damaged the body of the car using bricks.

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Original version:

Unidentified men at dawn yesterday (Thursday) smashed the front windows and side mirrors of a car belonging to parliament nominee of the third consistency in Central Governorate, Adnan Almalki. They also damaged the body of the car using bricks. New version in Al Wasat:

Marhoon detailed the incident stating: “I went to my apartment in the aforementioned area at around 5pm, and parked my car in the garage without any problems”. Original version:

Parliament nominee Almalki described the incident to Alwasat stating: “I went to my apartment in the aforementioned area at around 12:30 midnight, and parked my car in the garage without any problems”. New version in Al Wasat:

He added: “I was shocked this morning to find the smashed glass and damage to the body of the car in addition to the side mirrors being broken. They used the red pavement bricks which were clearly at the scene of the incident”. Original version:

He added: “I was shocked this morning to find the smashed glass and the damage to the body of the car in addition to the side mirrors being broken. They used the red pavement bricks which were clearly at the scene of the incident”. New version:

Marhoon stated that he received several threats via text messages, and other means, calling him a traitor and using offensive language; Original version:

The parliament nominee mentioned that he had received several threats via text messages, and other means, calling him a traitor and using offensive language;

In addition, it is clear from the image used in the new version that this was stolen from Saudi newspaper Alriyadh; Al Wasat printed it without even attempting to hide its source (source included at bottom of image: www alriyadh.com).

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The original image which was printed in the Saudi newspaper on 16 October, 2010:

http://www.albosala.com/portals/content/?info=YVdROU1USTFORE1tYzl5MWNtTmxQVk4xWW5CaFoyVW1kSGx3WIQweEpnPTOrdQ==..jsp

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News (6) Issue no. 3126 on Monday 29 March, 2011: Al Wasat published a report titled "Young man under attack by unidentified men on Jid Ali Road"


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It is clear from the previous article that this was published in the Saudi newspaper Sabq one day prior to the release in Al Wasat and was plagiarized as the names as well as the type of vehicle were changed from motorbike to car. Excerpt as per Al Wasat:

Hussain Almarzooq was attacked by unidentified men while driving his car on Jid Ali road heading towards Tubli, and was abandoned covered in his blood. Excerpt in original report:

Unidentified men attacked a young man who was riding his motorbike on the Riyadh highway heading to Al Taif, and was abandoned covered blood.

Excerpt as per Alwasat:

Almarzooq said that whilst driving his car and upon reaching Jid Ali road heading towards his house, he was stopped by seven young men in a jeep. They asked him which sect he is from, and when he answered they surrounded him and started beating him with sticks and kicking him until he fell on the ground, a shocking state as he was drowning in blood due to a deep wound in his hand following extensive beatings.

Excerpt in original report:

The young victim was riding his motorbike and when he reached the AlOrfaa road south of AlTaif, he was stopped by seven young men in a jeep 'capsule'; they started asking him which tribe he is from, and when he answered they surrounded him and started beating him with sticks and kicking him until he fell on the ground, a shocking state as he was drowning in blood due to a deep wound in his head following extensive beatings.

URL of original report: http://sabq.org/sabq/user/news.do?section=5&id=21679

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Preliminary legal opinion

The publication of false news based on fabricated events that did not occur, and the printing of individuals' names with the claims that they have been mistreated by police officers, when the individuals do not exist, as well as the reporting of ongoing arrests that are not based on evidence are illegal.

Based on the observations presented in this report, this evidence is a clear violation of the laws regulating press, publishing and printing as per the following:

1) Crime of broadcasting claims and false news with the aim of causing harm to the public interest is punishable as per Article 168 of the law by imprisonment and a fine;

2) Violation of decree 47 of year 2002 for the regulation of press, printing and publishing as per Article 37 of the press law which states that the journalist must abide by the principles and values stated in the Constitution and within the confinements of the law and that he shall abide by the principles of honor, honesty and the professional code of conduct in order to set an example to preserve the community and its values. 2000;

3) Article 38 of the same law states that the journalist will refrain from encouraging racism or any actions that would encourage religious discrimination or instill hatred or attack other people's beliefs.

As per Clause 70 in the Press law, the publication of any false news or forged and falsified papers made with malicious intentions towards destroying public security or harming public interest shall be punished.

This will be punishable by a fine not exceeding BHD 2000 with no punishment higher as stated in the law.

Based on the above, it is permitted to take legal actions against such a newspaper following the gathering of evidence and proof that supports this case through the official channels that prove the inaccuracy of such news and any figures or names that are false.

A criminal case can be filed within 3 months of the publication date.

Public Prosecution is responsible for investigating such cases based on a request from the Ministry or the detainee.

The Court has the right to suspend the publication of the newspaper temporarily if they have published what constitutes criminal conduct (based on article 78 from the Press Law).

In addition, the Information Affairs Authority has the right to take the necessary actions as stated in the Press Law whereby state government has been harmed, or manners and values have been violated or if issues are released after having been previously suspended.

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Promotion and publication of false news as per the Press Law

Bahraini law has addressed the issue of broadcasting and publication of rumors and false news in a number of legislation; the punishments have been stated in the Punishment Law, which specifically addresses the press topic as per the Law of Press, Printing and Publication, applicable to those who fit within the criteria of the Law, as explained below:

Law of Punishment:

1. Criminal action: Any person who intentionally broadcasts news, figures or rumors that are false or provocative, or broadcasts advertising that is provocative with the intention of causing harm to public security or implanting fear and panic amongst public interest.

Clarification: all of the above-mentioned criminal acts must be upon the condition that they have been committed intentionally; if the act or any related act has been undertaken with good intention, such as the individual having been provided with the information through a source that did not use accuracy and honesty, or if the person received the information and this was subsequently altered / corrected following the time of publication, or if it was corrected without informing the person and published before correction, then the intention to cause harm as a condition of the crime is no longer valid.

Punishment: Imprisonment for a period of no longer than two years or a fine not exceeding BHD200.

The Press, Printing and Publication Law

2. Criminal act: the publication of false news or forged and falsified papers made with malicious intentions towards others or aimed at harming public security or harming public interest.

Clarification: actions described above and all related actions must be based on the fundamental condition that demonstrates malicious or unfair intention on the part of the accused to result in actions that are aimed at harming public security or harming public interest. It should be noted that proving good intent at the time of publishing the news or papers will pardon the crime and lead to no punishment.

Punishment: the law states that those who are found to have conducted such acts will be punished with a fine not exceeding BHD 2000 with the knowledge that the act has been categorized as a crime as per the Punishment Law or in any other law with a more excessive punishment, then the more excessive punishment can have precedence in this case.

1. Article 168: The perpetrator is punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or by a fine not exceeding BHD 200 or by one of these two punishments for those persons who intentionally broadcast news or figures or rumours that are false or provocative, or have broadcast advertising that is

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provocative with the intention of harming public security or implanting fear and panic amongst the general public or harming public interest. Punishment will be for the cases of people who have instigated the above by print or publication without a reasonable cause, and anyone who has used any tool of print or recording or special advertising even in a temporary nature for printing or recording or broadcasting any of the above.

2. Article 70: with the lack of use of any punishment greater than that which is stated by the Punishment law or any other law, the perpetrator shall be punished as per the stated punishment in the previous article for printing.

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ANNEX

Text of letter from the CIO addressed to Mr Jassim Hassan, Director of the Office of the President of the Information Affairs Authority.

Dated 31 March 2011

This is to inform you that, in response to your query related to the accuracy of the following names as published in Al Wasat newspaper on 24 March 2011 and 28 March 2011 and their existence in our official records:

1. Hussain Mansoor Taher 2. Nasser Abdali Hussain Hubail

It has been found that there are no such names recorded in any official state records as per the date of this correspondence.

Regards,

Dr Mohammed Ahmed Al Amer

President of CIO

** The comment of the Director of Hamad Kanoo Health Center: After reviewing all the records from the Hamad Kanoo Health Center for patients attending the Center on March 27, 2011, there were no records of the name of the person claimed to be Nasser al-Abdali or Hossein Hubail, in any of the three morning and evening shifts.

A special report on Al Wasat Newspaper

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