• Listen to this segment

• Listen to the entire program

Security forces in Bahrain shot and killed a 16 year old boy named Hussam Al-Haddad this past Friday night after demonstrations in the province of Muharraq. The demonstrations followed news about Bahraini activist, Nabeel Rajab, who was sentenced to a three year jail term last Thursday, in what human rights groups have called a ,”dark day for justice” in the small Gulf Arab nation. Rajab, who was already serving a three month term for writing “libelous” tweets against the Bahraini government, was convicted on three charges related to organizing and participating in “illegal gatherings.” The unexpectedly harsh ruling does not bode well for 13 other jailed activists, who are awaiting an appeal for sentences ranging from 5 years to life.

Protesters calling for government reform took to the streets last February when the Arab Spring movement reached the island nation. Mass demonstrations, including a rally in March of over 100,000 people, have continued despite government repression and media censorship. Activists are demanding constitutional changes that would curb Sunni domination over the majority Shiite population, and a parliament independent from the ruling Khalifa family, which dominates all aspects of the Bahraini government.

Bahrain, located off the coast of Saudi Arabia, is closely aligned with the United States and serves as the operational headquarters for the US Navy’s fifth fleet. Critics have speculated that the close relationship between the U.S government and the ruling Khalifa family is the reason why the ongoing turmoil in Bahrain has failed to attract much attention from western media. The U.S government issued a tepid response to Rajab’s conviction on Thursday when State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland commented that it was, “deeply troubled by the sentenc[e],” but refused to urge Bahraini authorities to release the jailed activist.

GUEST: Sanjeev Bery, Amnesty International USA’s Middle East/North Africa Advocacy Director.

Visit www.amnestyusa.org/bahrain and www.bahrainrights.org for more information.