New York: Award-winning investigative journalist and former CNN on-air correspondent, Amber Lyon, who just didn’t buy CNN’s claims decided to blow the whistle on the channel for its censoring the coverage of the uprising in Bahrain.
In late March of 2011 Amber was sent to the Persian Gulf country to produce a one-hour documentary depicting the importance of social media and technology in the “Arab Spring”. The documentary entitled “iRevolution: Online Warriors of the Arab Spring” exposed the brutality and aggression of the US-backed Bahraini regime forces against peaceful protesters killing scores of them and injuring scores others.
The documentary also featured “Lyon’s” interviews with some members opposing to the U.S-backed monarchy and Human Rights Activists; such “Nabeel Rajab” who is currently being detained by the Bahrain authorities and kept in isolation without any explanations.
Several of those who aided “Lyon” in her assignment were reported to have been charged with crimes. “Lyon” herself and her crew had also been detained during their journey by who they were quoted describing as “20 heavily-armed men with ski masks who pointed machine guns at the journalists forcing them to the ground.” After her horrific experience “Lyon” couldn’t but call on all journalists to have the courage and speak up.
Since mid February of last year, Bahrain has been the scene of anti-regime demonstrations. After the toppling of Egypt’s Former Dictator “Hosni Mubarak” the Bahraini people took to the streets demanding an amendment in articles of their constitution merely asking for equality among all citizens.
In spite of holding red roses to symbolize peace and unity and refusing to raise any flag but that of Bahrain; the Bahraini authorities’ response was brutal against demonstrators leaving no room for dialogue.
Coordinator of Lebanon-based “Huqouq” Rights Group, “May Al-Khansa”, whose organization has filed a complaint against the Al-Khalifa family in the Hague accusing them of war-crimes and crimes against humanity, said that the crimes her organization has documented on the Bahraini regime rose up to the beating-to-death of minors and even genocide.
To add up to the miseries of the Bahraini people, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have deployed troops to help the Bahraini forces suppress the peaceful demonstrations which at times included up to 70% of the Persian Gulf country’s population. So far scores of people have been killed and many detained for practicing their constitutional right of asking for reform. TNN
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