Bahrain sentences one protestor to death, jails medics for treating demonstrators [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male # 1
A special military court in Bahrain sentenced a man to death after convicting him of killing a policeman during the wave of protests witnessed in the country earlier this year. His partner in the case was sentenced to life in prison. The same court handed down sentences to doctors and nurses who treated the injured during the protests. 13 medics were sentenced to 15 years. Amnesty International condemned the sentences, considering them evidence of "travesty of justice" in Bahrain.

Reporter, Male # 2
The military prosecutor-general said the primary special court unanimously agreed to execute Ali Yousef Abdulwahab al-Taweel and sentenced another man in the same case to life in prison. The two activists were convicted of intentionally killing a policeman for carrying out his duties in Manama. The court said the killing was premeditated with the convicted using their own vehicle. The two activists were also convicted of participating in a gathering in a public place with the aim of disrupting security and public order. Critics said the sentences were handed down by a military court while it should have been a civilian court. They added that a royal decree was issued on the matter but was not implemented.

Guest, Male # 3 (Abdul-Jalil Khalil, head of the resigned Wefaq's parliamentary bloc)
These doctors and citizens are being prosecuted by the Court of National Safety, which is a military court. Political societies rejected it seeing that Bahrain's constitution does not allow the prosecution of civilians in military courts. Decree number 62 was issued by the king and it refers all cases from the National Safety Court to regular courts but this decree was not executed.

Reporter, Male # 2
The court also sentenced 20 medics, including women, to prison. Their sentences ranged between five and 15 years. The convicted were working at al-Sulaymaniyah medical center, which formed an essential hub for the protest movement that was led by the Shiites and demanded change in the kingdom. The accused were convicted of forcefully occupying al-Sulaymaniyah medical center by controlling its entrances and exits, and all its departments and essential administrations. According to the indictment, they used force and threats, and possessed Kalashnikovs and white weapons without permits. In addition, the convicted were accused of promoting the violent overthrown and change of the ruling regime, seizing medical equipment, and missing work without excuse to the detriment of patients and the injured.

Guest, Female # 1 (Jalilah Sayyed, Lawyer of a convicted doctor)
Al-Sulaymaniyah hospital's chief executive was brought by the military prosecutor to testify. So he presented his testimony in court and denied that the accused occupied al- Sulaymaniyah hospital. Madam, al-Sulaymaniyah hospital is the main hospital and the only one in Bahrain. The hospital holds 950 beds, and it is the hospital that serves all popular segments in Bahrain. And this hospital is important for Bahrain and the only thing those doctors did is treating the injured, who had nowhere else to get treatment during the events.

Reporter, Male # 2
The authorities say four policemen died after being run over by vehicles during the demonstrations. The protest movement was controlled by the authorities in mid-March, one month after they started, and led to imposing emergency law and calling for the intervention of Saudi forces in an operation dubbed "Gulf Shield." In addition, an arrest campaign targeted opposition activists. According to the authorities, the events led to the death of 24 people, and four activists died in detention. Hawan Yaaqoub, BBC.

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Syrian defectors fight back against Assad's forces as the US is accused of inciting violence [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
Syrian activists confirmed that 47 people have been killed over the past three days by the security forces' gunfire in various cities. Most victims were killed in the city of al-Rastan in Homs Province, which witnessed a series of airstrikes by the Syrian Air Force. In a statement, the al-Harmouch Brigade, which is affiliated with the Syrian Free Army, announced the launch of military operations against members of the security forces and shabeha in Jabal al-Zawiyah. In a notable development, the regime's supporters pelted the US ambassador with stones and tomatoes as he left the office of an opposition leader in Damascus. Following the attack, Syrian authorities accused the US of inciting violence against their security forces. As the protests continue against President Bashar Assad's regime, the Syrian army intensified its security operations across various regions of Homs Province, especially in al-Rastan where clashes are raging with army defectors. The Syrian Revolution General Commission said two explosions rocked the Bayada neighborhood amid heavy gunfire. The commission added that massive explosions were reported on al-Zair Street, also amid heavy gunfire. Other explosions were also reported near al-Abasiyah checkpoint, Deir Ba'alba, and Bab Amr neighborhood. The commission said that security forces and the shabeha fired heavily from the Bab Tadmor checkpoint toward Bab Siba'a and Mouraijah streets, inflicting causalities among residents. The Syrian Revolution Coordination Union said the Syrian army deployed military planes to shell the city of al-Rastan, which has been under attack for days. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Wednesday's death toll included 14 victims in Homs, two in Daraa, and one in Baniyas. In another development, the Syrian Revolution Coordination Union said that army defectors ambushed a group of shabeha en-route to Jabal al-Zawiyah in Idlib Province, killing dozens.

Guest, Male #2
In response to the heinous attacks on the city of al-Rastan and the crackdowns in Jabal al-Zawiyah, the al-Harmouch Brigade targeted a shabeha bus at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, September 28, 2011. The Jabal al-Zawiyah-bound bus was en-route from the al-Mastuma base near the Jericho Bridge.

Reporter, Male #1
In addition, a number of student protests were staged across various Syrian regions, demanding the downfall of the regime and the execution of President Bashar Assad. According to a Syrian news website, the US ambassador to Damascus, Robert Ford, was pelted with tomatoes this morning by dozens of President Assad's supporters in the capital. Syrian Akhbar News online said that a group of youths attacked US Ambassador Ford while en-route to the office of the chair of the National Coordination Committee, attorney Hassan Abdel Azim, in protest of his country's position on the events in Syria. Following the attack, a Syrian official source accused the US of blatantly inciting the use of violence against the Syrian army by armed groups. According to the official Syrian SANA news agency, the Syrian Foreign Ministry slammed comments by US State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner, who described the quote "terrorist acts" in Syria as "natural." The source added that such "irresponsible" remarks will encourage acts of terrorism and chaos in order to serve foreign agendas against the interests of the Syrian people. It added that Syria strongly condemns the US statements and affirms its determination to preserve its security and stability, to defend its citizens, and to oppose all attempts to interfere in its internal affairs. Despite the use of violence to quell the protests, Syrians staged nighttime rallies across various regions. In the Damascus' neighborhood of Hamuriya, a protest was held in solidarity with al-Rastan and to demand the downfall of the regime. In Idlib, massive protests were held after evening prayers in support of al-Rastan and to demand international protection for civilians. A nighttime rally was also held in Homs, calling for the unity of the opposition and for the execution of President Assad and his pillars.

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Rival Yemeni forces clash across Sanaa [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
Our al-Jazeera correspondent reported that two supporters of the Hashid tribal leader, Sadiq al-Ahmar, were killed and five others were wounded in artillery shelling launched by President Ali Abdullah Saleh's loyalist forces. The shelling targeted the house of Himyar al-Ahmar, the deputy speaker of parliament, in the Sufan neighborhood of the Hasaba area, north of Sanaa.

Presenter, Male #1
Marches continued in a number of cities demanding the downfall of the president. In the capital Sanaa, a massive demonstration took place vowing to try President Saleh. Participants expressed their rejection to a political settlement.

Reporter, Male #2
Saleh ordered a ceasefire a few days ago and gunfire intensified in the streets of Sanaa. At dawn, the northern area of the capital witnessed violent clashes between the Republican Guards led by the president's son and armed supporters of the revolution. The government forces' shelling targeted sites belonging to tribal leader Sadiq al-Ahmar and Major-General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar. This has led to increased fear that the president's return from Saudi Arabia does not aim to contain the country's crisis but rather fuel it, according to the opposition. The opposition added that Saleh, who was beautified overseas, returned to reveal his real face to administer the crisis. However, there is no imminent solution or means to defuse the conflict as many had hoped. His return only brought an expected escalation and new maneuvers aimed at prolonging the crisis instead of resolving it.

Guest, Female #2
Ahmed Ali and Ali Saleh are the enemies of the youth, the enemy of the people!

Reporter, Male #2
These people were martyred as the death toll has been on the rise shortly before and after Saleh's return. Within one week, more than 100 Yemenis died. And with his return, the killing was resumed and the Gulf initiative became dependent on what the opposition describes as the political maneuvers led by the president to completely eliminate the initiative and perhaps push the country into a civil war, which the vice president has previously warned of. Saleh withdrew from signing the initiative three times. Each time, his excuses negated his obligations toward the regional sponsors of the initiative and their supporters in the West. Political observers and analysts were hopeful that Saleh would finally be committed to the initiative, especially after he survived an assassination attempt in June. But according his opponents, death, which Saleh saw before his own eyes, made him more prone to seek revenge and more afraid of legal prosecution if the Gulf initiative is implemented and the transition of power is completed against his will. If the situation continues, it may lead to a ploy to change the principles of the Yemeni conflict that will threaten the peacefulness of the anti-Saleh protests. The demonstrators, who have been flowing to the streets of the capital and other cities for nearly nine months, may be forced to resort to other methods in order to change the regime, which some people assert is Saleh's goal. They say Saleh is attempting to prolong the crisis or even turn it into a civil war. So as part of the crisis or because of it, Saleh would stay in power seeing that this is his only goal according to his opponents.

Presenter, Male #1
In Yemen's Ibb Province, hundreds of children took part in a demonstration in solidarity with a child named Anas as-Saidi who was killed in the shelling of Sanaa by President Ali Abdullah Saleh's forces on September 19. The children demanded the prosecution of the perpetrators who killed Saidi.

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Twelve revolutionaries killed in clashes over besieged Sirte [Al Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
At least 12 Libyan revolutionary fighters were killed and dozens were wounded in violent battles inside the besieged city of Sirte, which was shelled by NATO in the last several hours. Meanwhile, the revolutionaries continue their attacks on three frontlines in order to take control of the city.

Presenter, Male #1
The revolutionaries are leading a decisive battle with heavy weaponry in the regions that are still out of their control. The road they chose to liberate all of Libya passes through this coastal city, Gaddafi's birthplace. These fighters are aware that their mission is dangerous in the face of the Libyan colonel's battalions. It seems that the revolutionaries' sacrifices for liberating Sirte provided an incentive to quickly advance on the western front. Their missiles, rockets, and heavy artillery fire forced Gaddafi's battalions to retreat inside the city. Dozens of armored trucks pushed into Sirte and advanced to a location only five kilometers from the city center. Fighters also managed to fully control the northern areas of the city, connecting the western front with the eastern front.

Guest, Male #2 (Walid Salim, Revolutionary Fighter)
God willing, the coastal area has been secured by the revolutionaries of the western front and the revolutionaries of the eastern front near Abu Hadi Island.

Reporter, Male #1
Military commanders indicated that the fighting would be temporarily stopped out of humanitarian consideration, which has been common practice in the last several days as civilians continue to flee Sirte. The current situation may leave Gaddafi's loyalists only one choice: to turn themselves in to the revolutionaries.

Guest, Male #3
The fighting was temporarily stopped to give residents a chance to escape Sirte.

Reporter, Male #1
The military spokesman also confirmed the revolutionaries' control over Sirte's port, airport, and several military bases. He stressed that the revolutionaries' top priority is to liberate all of Libya and guarantee the security of the liberated cities. He indicated that capturing Gaddafi is not their main goal right now in light of unconfirmed information about Gaddafi hiding near Ghadames city, close to the Algerian border. Other information asserts that Gaddafi's son Al-Moatessem-Billah was seen in Sirte, and his other son Saif al-Islam was seen in Bani Walid. Bani Walid is one of the final strongholds of Gaddafi's battalions that the revolutionaries are preparing to liberate amid sporadic shelling from inside the city.

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Egyptian parties threaten to boycott elections [Press TV, Iran]

The National Coalition for Egypt met on Wednesday to discuss amendments to the country's electoral law proposed by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. In a meeting for the National Coalition for Egypt, political parties and activists overwhelmingly condemned the military council's latest parliamentary elections law and constitutional declaration. Potential presidential candidate Ayman Nour believes that the furtive manner in which the law and constitutional declaration were issued are expected in the days of ousted President Hosni Mubarak and the arbitrary way in which the laws were passed.

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Local Saudi elections see low turnout [Press TV, Iran]

A low turnout has been reported in Saudi Arabia, where voters are casting their ballots in municipal elections, the second ever in the country's history. Like previous polls, women do not have the right to vote. But they will be able to do so in the next municipal elections in 2015. The current poling started on Thursday and continued on Friday with the results expected on Sunday. More that 5,300 candidates are competing to fill half the seats in councils across the kingdom. The other half will be filled by the government.

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Palestinian statehood big goes to UNSC's special committee [IBA, Israel]

In tonight's top story, the United Nations Security Council has referred the Palestinian application for full UN membership to a special committee that will review it in the coming weeks. The admission committee charged with approving new members to the world body is comprised of all 15 Security Council members. The Palestinians claim they have now received approval from eight members of the council. If nine vote in favor of Palestinian statehood, the resolution will pass, unless one of the council's five members uses its veto. That is something that the US vows to do.

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Israel's approval of 1,100 new settlement unites condemned [IBA, Israel]

The executive committee of the PLO met today in Ramallah and rejected calls by the Middle East Quartet to restart the stalled peace talks with Israel. Ahead of the gathering, Palestinian officials condemned Israel's decision to authorize the building of 1,100 new housing units in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, which is located beyond the Green line. The Middle East Quartet, which is comprised of the US, the EU, Russia, and the UN, has called on both sides to refrain from taking inflammatory unilateral actions.

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Palestinian political prisoners languish in Israeli jails [Algérie TV, Algeria]

Presenter, Male #1
Abu Fahmi's family is one of the families suffering from the occupation measures that Israelis practice on prisoners and their families. Our camera crew visited several families of political prisoners in Gaza and brought us the following report by Wisam Abu Zaid.

Reporter, Male #2
The sentiments of love and yearning connect Muna with her father Fahmi, whom she only knows from his picture. Fahmi was arrested four years ago along with his father As'ad and his brother, also named Fahmi. This means three members of this one family are in prison: the father and his two sons who taste the bitterness of imprisonment. As for the rest of the family, they must shake the dust off their wounds and appeal for their release.

Guest, Female #1 (Um Fahmi, Mother of Prisoner)
I don't know what to do. What did my child do to be deprived of seeing her father? Her father has been imprisoned for 48 months, and she hasn't seen him since. She wishes to see him. She holds his picture and kisses it.

Reporter, Male #2
The issue of Palestinian political prisoners is considered to be one of the most important. Israel tries to blackmail Palestinians over these prisoners in negotiations over several years. Israel bargains over their release, and ignores their suffering.

Guest, Male #3 (Rafik Hamdouna, Member of the Prisoners Committee for National and Islamic Parties)
In the last period of negotiations, the Israelis sometimes brought up the issue of prisoners in response to the Palestinians' legitimate request to release them. The Israelis use extortion, meaning they exchange a prisoner's release for something else. This has stalled the issue until now, and the Palestinians' wounds are still bleeding.

Reporter, Male #2
This is the father of a prisoner released several months ago. When we met him, he insisted on talking about resolutions recognized by the UN that are able to set everyone free.

Guest, Male #4, (Father of Released Prisoner)
The prisoners are being held in captivity, and no one is looking for them. We need to summon the UN, which is all talk but no action. It has not implemented anything. What is this nonsense?

Reporter, Male #2
The fate of Palestinian prisoners and detainees will remain unknown until their loved ones have cried their tears dry from the sorrow of being separated for decades. The issue will remain the most important test of the occupation's intentions in the upcoming phases. Wisam Abu Zaid, Algeria TV, Gaza, Palestine.