Exclusive- Bahrain Mirror

On the 13th of March, the University administration accused some students-of which some attended the Pearl Square protests-of deliberately entering the University to sabotage, intimidate, and perpetrate violence, while the administration simultaneously set a blind eye to masked thugs who stormed the University campus (under security forces protection) with sticks, iron rods, and swords terrorizing the students!

This attack obliged the students to stand up and protect themselves as well as their female colleagues, yet the University administration of which some teachers backed the violent thugs, rejects the story and narrates another version, surely in harmony with its scheme.

Soon came the response to the students’ reaction: “you are expelled!”Some of the expelled students told their story to Bahrain Mirror.

The scene is as follows: a university student from the Arts and Tourism Faculty receives a phone call; she is summoned for investigations after one week of events. On that day, the student is surprised to see 7 investigators including Oussama Al Jawdar, Students’ Affairs Dean, along with a staff member, while the rest are Iraqi investigators.

The investigation starts with a question on her role in the three rallies that took place on university campus, in addition to another rally that started from the university to head to the Information ministry.

That was only the beginning, as a stream of questions followed regarding the slogans said during the rallies, the aim behind these slogans, what are the tv channels she watches and trusts, who does she back and who does she oppose, she was showered with questions.“Slowly, the questions were intended to address the Pearl Square protests, the charges were consecutive, the staff member shoved fabricated charges against me,” the student said.  “After I left the room, i realized that the staff member was being used as a false witness against me and all the other students that were subject to investigations,” she added. Well, the student did not deny her participation in the peaceful protests.

The investigators on their turn, accused her of double charges and stood against her. One of them, she said, gave her sharp looks and spoke with an intimidating tone, he rejected her self defence.No videos, photos, or evidence was presented on her participation. Still, at the end of the investigation, she was informed that she had violated the disciplinary rules of the university by taking part in university rallies.The students further explains, “Deputy Head of University Youssef Al Basteki took part in the first rally and protest that was held in the university campus, his reaction was so normal which made participants feel comfortable and easy.” She wonders “if that was in conflict with the disciplinary rules as they claim, then why didn’t they punish the students at the very beginning?

”A few days later, the student receives a phone call from the University administration, informing her she was expelled, and so was the case of many other students, the last of which was during the first week of June.Another student narrates a similar story with the same number of investigators of whom he only knew Oussama Al Jawdar, Students’ Affairs Dean of Bahrain University.  The first charge: participating in the university events, particularly on the 13th of March 2011.

The student explains “one of the investigators accuses me with a bunch of charges, saying that all what I had done is registered and proved in videos and photos, but he showed me no evidence at all that proves I had perpetrated any sabotage actions in the University.

”The student was asked about his “role in University events, the party behind his participation in these rallies and events, with whom were he marching with during the funeral procession of the martyr (Ali Mo’men), as well as during the March 13 rally on university campus.”Following this introduction of questions, the student was showered with false accusations “Why did you carry wooden logs, perpetrate sabotage? How many times did you attend the Pearl square and what was your goal from going there?” And the weirdest question was “how much money did you donate for the square?

”The questions were repeated, only in different phrases.

“Then comes the part where they play the videos and show you photos to ask if you know some people or not,” the student explains adding “most of the students who were subject to investigations were neither in the photos nor in the videos, and I was one of those. The photo they I was showed looked nothing like me.”One week later, he receives a phone call, as they inform him that he has been expelled, the same goes for the rest of the students.