National - Friday, October 16, 2009 13:30 - 6 Comments
Inhumane Navy Hazing Shows the True Evils of DADT
How this story did not get more press is beyond me. A gay sailor in the US Navy endured over two years of physical abuse from his commanding officer and fellow sailors in Bahrain. He was bound to chairs, locked in cages filled with dog shit and forced to simulate oral sex.
Joseph Rocha landed in Bahrain as an 18-year-old to serve as a dog handler. In keeping with the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, he kept the fact he is gay a secret, but his fellow sailors found out anyway. How? Because he wouldn’t screw prostitutes.
The knowledge of Rocha’s sexuality paired with DADT enabled his fellow sailors to torment him and bribe him into silence. Rocha didn’t report his abuse. Doing so would reveal that he is gay and that would mean he could no longer serve his country.
Continue…
National - Sunday, May 10, 2009 2:47 - 9 Comments
Abu Dhabi Sheikh Issa Detained
According to CNN, a Senior State Department official is reporting that Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, the brother of the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, has been detained and placed under house arrest. Last month, video was released that showed Sheikh Issa torturing a grain dealer.
The news comes after the Abu Dhabi government “unequivocally condemn[ed] the actions” and said they would “conduct a comprehensive review of the matter” last week.
Human Rights Watch, who earlier sent a letter to the UAE urging them to bring the Sheikh to justice, said the arrest was “reassuring,” but reiterated their call for “an independent body” to investigate the incident.
National - Thursday, April 30, 2009 10:12 - 1 Comment
Abu Dhabi Finally Responds to Torture Video
Last week, a video released by ABC News showed Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, the brother of the UAE Crown Prince, brutally torturing a man that he felt had cheated him out of $5,000 worth of grain.
Yesterday, the Government of Abu Dhabi “unequivocally condemn[ed] the actions depicted on the video” and the Human Rights Office of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department believes those actions “appear to represent a violation of human rights” and will “conduct a comprehensive review of the matter,” even though no charges were brought against either party involved.
On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch, an independent watchdog organization, called for the investigation and prosecution of Sheikh Issa.
This is the first official statement about the incident from the UAE and Abu Dhabi. Continue…
