Yemen protesters reject Saleh exit plan

Fresh clashes between armed tribesmen, Yemeni forces leaves five people dead as pro-democracy protests continue.

Middle East Online

Yemenis demanding the immediate departure of Saleh SANAA - Yemen protesters Sunday demanded the immediate departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh after his ruling party accepted a Gulf plan for him to quit in 30 days in a move promptly hailed by Washington. The United States had urged a peaceful transition after Saleh's General People's Congress (GPC) party said late Saturday it accepted a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan under which he would quit after months of protests. The top committee of the Peaceful Change Revolution issued a statement reiterating its rejection of the plan and demanding that Saleh be prosecuted, contrary to the GCC proposal which calls for immunity. "The committee... utterly rejects any initiative that would not stipulate the departure of Saleh and his family (from power) and putting him and his staff on trial," it said. The Gulf plan would see Saleh submit his resignation to parliament 30 days after tasking the opposition with forming a "national accord government" shared equally between the GPC and the opposition. His resignation would also follow the enactment by the parliament of laws providing "immunity against legal and judicial prosecution of the president and those who worked with him during his rule," the text of the initiative says. Saleh's deputy would then take over as interim president and call for a presidential election within 60 days. The newly elected president would then form a committee to draft a new constitution which would be voted on in a referendum, paving the way for parliamentary elections. The GCC, the European Union and the United States would sign the resulting agreement as witnesses. Saleh's party said on Saturday it accepted the plan in its "entirety." Yemen's parliamentary Common Forum opposition coalition also welcomed the Gulf plan, but insisted that Saleh has to go before a national unity government is formed. The protesters' statement on Sunday slammed the Common Forum position, however, saying it "represents only itself." The committee called on the Common Forum "to refrain from entering into dialogue with Saleh and his regime, and to merge fully with the revolution, and call clearly for an immediate departure of Saleh and a speedy trial of his regime." The White House on Saturday welcomed the plan for Yemen's long-time president to step down, urging all sides to "swiftly" implement a peaceful transfer of power. "We applaud the announcements by the Yemeni government and the opposition that they have accepted the GCC-brokered agreement to resolve the political crisis in a peaceful and orderly manner," spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement. He also urged "all parties to move swiftly to implement the terms of the agreement so that the Yemeni people can soon realise the security, unity, and prosperity that they have so courageously sought and so richly deserve." US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said earlier that "the timing and form of this transition should be identified through dialogue and begin immediately." He also called for "genuine participation" from all sides and urged them to refrain from violence. Officials in the United States, which had regarded Saleh a key ally in its fight against terrorism, are alarmed at the fallout from the upheaval in Yemen, where Al-Qaeda has already exploited the violent power struggle between Saleh and his opponents. On Friday, Saleh had given a cool response to the Gulf plan for him to quit after being in power for 32 years, even as massive crowds returned to the streets to demand his immediate ouster. The embattled leader insisted he would stick to the constitution in any power transfer. More than 130 people have been killed in clashes with security forces and Saleh supporters since protests broke out late January. Meanwhile, fresh clashes erupted between armed tribesmen and Republican Guard forces in Yemen's southern province of Lahij on Sunday, killing five people, four of them soldiers, police said. The renewed fighting erupted in the same area where eight people -- six tribesmen and two soldiers -- were killed three days ago, police said. "Four soldiers and a tribesman were killed in new fighting today," a police official said, declining to be named. Tribesmen in the mountain village of Labus regard the presence of troops in the area as a provocation. Another tribe attacked troop reinforcements heading towards Labus, but details of casualties were not immediately known.

Shoe-shining in Somali war zone

Numbers of shoe-shiners in Mogadishu's streets increasing in past few years despite war dangers.

Middle East Online

Few alternative means of earning a livelihood MOGADISHU - There are a lot of boots to shine in heavily militarized Mogadishu, and a lot of boys to shine them, despite the risks of bombs, bullets and beatings. Two decades of civil war in Somalia's capital have left many civilians, particularly the youth, without employment or viable alternative means of earning a livelihood. Ahmed Dini, a civil society activist involved in children's welfare, told IRIN that exact figures were not available but estimated that "roughly between 4,000 and 4,500 children live on the streets of Mogadishu". He said the numbers had been increasing in the past few years. "Some have lost their parents and others have been separated from families who fled the violence." Halimo Ahmed*, an official of a women's business association in Mogadishu, told IRIN: "These children live under difficult situations while working in the streets. Sometimes, a child shining the shoes of soldier is caught up in conflict if rivals attack while the task is going on. In such situations, the children are [sometimes] killed accidentally. "Two children were shot dead three months ago in K4 [a neighbourhood of southern Mogadishu] when the soldiers whose shoes they were shining were attacked by a militia group." Fighting between government troops, backed by the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and opposition Islamist groups, continues in Mogadishu and other parts of the country and has caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Somalis. Most of the children work as shoe-shiners in the southern part of Mogadishu, which is controlled by the Transitional Federal Government, or in the northern part controlled by opposition Islamist group, Al-Shabab. Harassment Due to daily conflict in the city, Ahmed said, these children are often harassed or denied payment by their customers. "Sometimes, soldiers promise the children khat [mild stimulant widely chewed in the country] for shining their shoes then they later refuse to hand over the khat; if the children insist on being paid, they could even be shot," Ahmed said. Both military and civilian customers sometimes abuse the shoe-shiners. Osman Ali*, 9, has been shining shoes in Mogadishu for two years. "I was born in the north of Mogadishu and I have been working as a shoe shiner for two years now because my father is taking care of my mother, who is too ill, leaving me as the main provider for my five younger brothers. "Sometimes TFG soldiers ask us to shine their shoes but when we ask for payment, they threaten us or even beat us." Abdi Omar, 14, told IRIN: "I remember one Wednesday a few weeks ago when two soldiers came to me and asked me to shine their shoes. When I completed shining their shoes, they complained that I had not done the job properly. They left without paying me. In such cases, I just ask Allah to give them a hard time." Displacement Ali Abdi, 12, who works near Eil-gaab in the south, has not only been displaced several times, but survived a bomb attack. "Initially, my family lived in Karan district [north]. One day, after I had left for work, war broke out in the area. When I returned home, my family had fled. I resorted to sleeping on the streets for about eight days. I later made my way to Eil-gaab where I met someone I knew. He told me my family had fled to Xamar-weyne [south Mogadishu]. "One of my worst experiences took place here in Eil-gaab. It happened early one morning after I had reported to work. Shooting started and a bomb exploded near my spot. A friend of mine, who was also shining shoes, was hit. He lost his leg and an arm; somehow, I managed to survive without an injury. I did not turn up to work for days after the incident." Abdi said he later returned to work because he is the family's bread winner. "I earn about 40,000 shillings [US$1.50] daily and for this reason, I will not stop working despite the uncertainty involved." High hopes Many of the shoe-shining children expressed their desire for schooling. "It is circumstances that have forced me to work for my family but if I can get an education I will be happy to go to school because I know that in future, education can help me," Mustaf Khadar, another shoe-shiner, said. Several women's organizations are involved in efforts to support children who have to work to help their families. "With the support of [international organizations] we have identified about 480 children in Galgadud and Mogadishu," an official of one, who declined to be named, told IRIN. "Some we feed while others we enrol in vocational training. However, we cannot host them in one place because we are afraid they could be bombed." Despite the difficulties of working on Mogadishu's streets, many shoe-shiners are optimistic that the city will be peaceful some day. "My mother tells me that fighting will end, but we are waiting to see this happening," Ismail Abdi said. "We hope that one day, we will go to school and that peace will come to Mogadishu." *not their real names © IRIN

Gathafi accused of dirty tricks in besieged city

Pro-Gathafi soldiers reportedly losing their grip in battle for Misrata amid sinking morale.

Middle East Online

By Marc Bastian – MISRATA, Libya

The battle for Libya continues Libyan rebels accused Moamer Gathafi of playing dirty games in Misrata where salvos of Grad rockets exploded Sunday in apparent contradiction of his regime's vow to halt fire in the western city. In a Misrata hospital, meanwhile, two captured pro-Gathafi soldiers said that loyalist forces were losing their grip in the battle for the western port, and that their morale was sinking. "Many soldiers want to surrender but they are afraid of being executed" by the rebels, said Lili Mohammed, a Mauritanian mercenary hired by the Gathafi regime to fight insurgents in the country's third city. "Gathafi forces are losing" in Misrata, said Misbah Mansuri, 25, another wounded loyalist fighter who said he was forcibly enlisted 45 days ago. Both Mohammed and Mansuri said separately from their hospital room in the presence of a doctor, saying officers had abandoned the troops and their supply lines were cut. Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said early on Sunday the army had suspended operations against rebels in Misrata, but not left the city, to enable local tribes to find a peaceful solution. "The armed forces have not withdrawn from Misrata. They have simply suspended their operations," he told a news conference in Tripoli. "The tribes are determined to solve the problem within 48 hours... We believe that this battle will be settled peacefully and not militarily." But Colonel Omar Bani, the military spokesman of the rebels' Transitional National Council, said Gathafi was "playing a really dirty game" aimed at dividing his opponents. "It is a trick, they didn't go," Bani said in the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi, adding: "They have stayed a bit out of Tripoli Street but they are preparing themselves to attack again." Kaim had previously announced the army would withdraw from Misrata and leave local tribes to resolve the conflict there, either by talks or through force. But later on Sunday bursts of automatic weapons fire could be heard and Grad rockets exploded in the city, the scene of deadly urban guerrilla fighting for weeks between rebels and Gathafi loyalists. Misrata suffered its worst toll in 65 days of fighting on Saturday, with 28 dead and 100 wounded compared with a daily average of 11 killed, according to Doctor Khalid Abu Falra at Misrata's main private clinic. "We're overwhelmed, overwhelmed. We lack everything: personnel, equipment and medicines," Falra said. NATO warplanes staged raids on civil and military sites in Tripoli and other cities, JANA news agency said, without giving casualty numbers. Earlier raids by the alliance struck near a compound in the capital where Gathafi resides. Three explosions rocked Tripoli late Saturday as NATO warplanes overflew the capital, AFP journalists said, after several earlier blasts in the city centre and outlying districts. Heavy anti-aircraft and automatic arms fire was also heard across Tripoli. In his traditional Easter message on Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI called for "diplomacy and dialogue" in Libya. "In the current conflict in Libya, may diplomacy and dialogue take the place of arms and may those who suffer as a result of the conflict be given access to humanitarian aid," the pope said. "That the light of peace and of human dignity may overcome the darkness of division, hate and violence" in the Middle East, he added in the message known as "Urbi et Orbi" (To the City and the World). A French journalist shot in the neck in Misrata was in intensive care on Sunday after undergoing surgery, medics said. Friends refused to identify the journalist, a blogger who worked for "alternative media." And Manu Brabo, a Spanish photographer who has been held in Libya for almost three weeks, has phoned his parents for the first time to say he is being well treated in a military prison in Tripoli, Spanish radio said. Gathafi's regime accused the United States, which has launched its first Predator drone strike on a rocket launcher targeting Misrata, of "new crimes against humanity" for deploying the low-flying, unmanned aircraft. At the prized western gate into Ajdabiya, a lull in the fighting has given families some respite in their search for loved ones who have gone missing in and around the strategic crossroads city. "As things calm down, people are building up the courage to come out and report," said Najim Miftah, a volunteer who has a binder of missing people that has doubled in two days with more than 70 new records. NATO said it had kept a "high operational tempo" of more than 3,000 sorties, nearly half of them strikes, since the transatlantic military alliance assumed full control of the mission late last month. An aid ship delivered 160 tonnes of food and medicine to the port city on Saturday before a planned evacuation of around 1,000 stranded refugees. Hundreds of Libyan families had lined up along the harbour front in hope of getting on board the vessel chartered by the International Organisation for Migration. But Dakir Hussam, a Syrian electrician, expressed his delight at managing to get a place on the Red Star One. "Gathafi's men shoot at anything that moves in the city, but they are also suffering a lot," he said, referring to the burial he saw of up to a dozen loyalist fighters this week. The UN refugee agency says about 15,000 people have fled fighting in western Libya into Tunisia in the past two weeks and a much larger exodus was feared. Massive Libyan protests in February -- inspired by the revolts that toppled long-time autocrats in Egypt and Tunisia -- escalated into war when Gathafi's troops fired on demonstrators and protesters seized several eastern towns. The battle lines have been more or less static in recent weeks, however, as NATO air strikes have helped block Gathafi's eastward advance but failed to give the poorly organised and outgunned rebels a decisive victory.

Syria rounds up opponents after 120 dead

Security forces raid homes across Syria, arresting regime opponents following deadly protests.

Middle East Online

'No Baath party, no Assad. We want to liberate the country' DAMASCUS - Security forces raided homes across Syria, arresting regime opponents, as funerals were held on Sunday for protesters and mourners killed in a bloody crackdown which activists said cost 120 lives. Students, meanwhile, called for a strike and two MPs resigned after more bloodshed on Saturday when Syrians swarmed the streets to bury scores of demonstrators killed in protests the previous day. At least 120 people were killed in the two-day crackdown, the Committee of the Martyrs of the 15 March Revolution said on Sunday. It issued an updated list of names of 95 people it said were killed on Friday in massive protests which swept across Syria. The death toll for Saturday has risen to 25 people killed by gunfire, it said. Most were killed in the southern protest hub region of Daraa and in and around Damascus, during funerals of people killed on Friday. Human Rights Watch urged the United Nations to probe the "carnage" from the massive "Good Friday" demonstrations and called for sanctions to be slapped on Syrian officials responsible for the killings. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens of people were arrested in northern Syria on Friday, just a day after President Bashar al-Assad had lifted decades of emergency rule. It gave the names of 18 men rounded up in the northern cities of Idlib, Raqqa and Aleppo, but said "dozens more were arrested in other Syrian towns." Witnesses and activists said several people were also rounded up in and around Damascus, but could not give exact numbers. The authorities "continue to carry out arbitrary arrests despite the lifting of emergency rule," the Observatory said in a statement, urging the release of political prisoners and a probe into Friday's killings. Police checkpoints have gone up across Damascus, where hotspot neighbourhoods have been locked down and only residents allowed to enter after identity checks, witnesses said. On Thursday, Assad signed decrees ending a draconian state of emergency, imposed by the ruling Baath Party when it seized power in 1963, to placate more than a month of "freedom" protests. He also abolished the state security court that has tried scores of regime opponents over the years outside the normal judicial system and whose verdicts cannot be appealed. Tens of thousands swarmed cities and towns across Syria on Friday to test the implementation of the reforms, but security forces fired live rounds and tear gas against them, activists said. "After Friday’s carnage, it is no longer enough to condemn the violence," Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in a statement. "Faced with the Syrian authorities’ 'shoot to kill' strategy, the international community needs to impose sanctions on those ordering the shooting of protesters," he said. Thousands of people on Sunday attended the funerals in the southern town of Noa of five of those killed the previous day and later demonstrated without any intervention from the police, an activist said. The mourners carried banners calling for the abrogation of an article in the constitution designating the Baath party as leader of the state and society, the activist said. Several weeks of protests have been demanding across-the-board political reforms as well as the dissolution of the feared security services who have cracked down mercilessly against demonstrators. The Syrian Revolution 2011 group, a driving force behind the protests, indicated its determination to keep up the pressure. "We are going out (on the streets) today, tomorrow and the day after," said a statement posted on Sunday on its Facebook page. Meanwhile public figures, including independent Daraa MPs Nasser al-Hariri and Khalil al-Rifai, have resigned in frustration at the crackdown. Daraa's top Muslim cleric, Mufti Rizq Abdulrahman Abazeid, also quit, as did a member of Daraa city council, Bassam al-Zamel, who told Al-Jazeera television "it is a duty on us to present our resignation." "I call on the president to contain the security forces," Zamel said. Students in Daraa and Damascus declared a general strike in all Syrian universities until "massacring the peaceful protesters comes to a stop and all prisoners of conscience and opinions are released," a statement said. More than 340 people have been killed in Syria since protests were launched March 15, according to a compilation of figures provided by Amnesty International and Syrian activists. Syria blames "armed gangs" for the unrest aimed at fuelling sectarian strife among the country's multi-religious and multi-ethnic communities. The crackdown unleashed a chorus of international condemnation. US President Barack Obama blasted the use of violence and accused Assad's regime of seeking Iran's aid in the brutal crackdown -- a charge denied by both Tehran and Damascus. Canada called on Damascus "to exercise restraint and to respect the rights of the Syrian people to freedom of expression and assembly." EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton called the crackdown "intolerable," and even Syrian ally Russia urged Damascus to speed up reform. HRW called for US and EU "sanctions on Syrian officials responsible "for the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters and the arbitrary detention and torture of hundreds of protesters, and push for similar sanctions to be imposed by the (UN) Security Council." On a positive note, authorities freed prominent militant Daniel Saud a day after arresting him without a warrant at his home in the northern city of Banias, said Ammar al-Qurabi of Syria's National Organisation of Human Rights.

Syria revolt can spur Iran democracy: Nobel laureate

Shirin Ebadi voices confidence that Iranians would rise up for change in peaceful protests.

Middle East Online

By Shaun Tandon - WASHINGTON

'Iran is like fire under the ashes' Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi voiced hope Saturday over mass protests in Syria, saying that the fall of Tehran's main Arab ally would send a powerful signal to the Islamic regime. "Democracy in Islamic and Arab countries, specifically Syria, will certainly affect democracy in Iran," Ebadi said on a visit to Washington. "If Syria becomes democratic, Iran will lose its puppet." Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces were said to have killed more than 80 people Friday and to have shot dead mourners on Saturday in a bid to crush the latest uprising against authoritarian leaders in the Middle East. Ebadi, a jurist and rights advocate who in 2003 became the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, faulted Iran's leaders for their focus on supporting Syria and other causes overseas. "Muslims should help each other no matter where they are, but let's not forget that in Iran some 20 percent of people live under the poverty line," she said. "Shouldn't the hungry people of Iran be fed first?" "Although Senegal is an Islamic country, Iran sends arms to Senegal in order to help the opposition and create a civil war, meaning Muslims killing Muslims," she said. "What does Senegal matter to Iran?" A long-simmering insurgency in Senegal's southwestern Casamance province has flared up this year due to what the Dakar government said was an Iranian arms shipment to the rebels. Iran denied the charge. "Besides, why is it that when China kills Muslims, the government of Iran is silent?" Ebadi said, referring the restive Xinjiang region. "And why is it that when the Muslims of Chechnya are killed, the government of Iran is silent?" Ebadi has not returned to Iran since its 2009 presidential election, whose disputed result set off widespread demonstrations against the clerical regime and clashes that killed dozens of protesters. She voiced confidence that she would eventually return home and that Iranians would again rise up for change, saying: "Iran is like fire under the ashes." Ebadi expected any future protests to be peaceful, saying that Iran was tired of violence after the 1979 Islamic revolution, the bloody eight-year war with Iraq and persistent political strife. "This is too much for one generation. Therefore the Iranian people's behavior is very peaceful and they're not going to resort to violence. Unfortunately the government has been exploiting this peacefulness," she said. Ebadi delves into the Iranian psyche in a new book, "The Golden Cage," which was published by Kales Press, an affiliate of W.W. Norton. Better known for legal work and political statements, Ebadi turned to a novelistic style in the book as she related the modern history of Iran through three brothers pulled in separate paths. One brother becomes a military officer who reveres the pro-Western shah, another shows a rebellious streak and joins the communist underground, while a third grows a beard and becomes an Islamist. Ebadi, who said she knew the brothers first-hand but changed names, portrayed one character as wiser -- the dueling brothers' sister, Pari. "Pari is a symbol of the Iranian woman's character," she said, predicting that women would play an outsized role in the country's political development. Ebadi also narrated in the book her own experience after falling afoul of authorities, describing the "white torture" of imprisonment in a filthy, solitary cell with no knowledge of time or hint of privacy. More recently, members of the clerical regime have attacked Ebadi for her defense of seven leaders of the Bahai faith who were each sentenced to 20 years in prison on allegations including spying for foreigners. In the interview, Ebadi vowed she would not back down. "I have read all the files and there is no evidence of the accusations. So why should I not continue to defend them?" she said. Iran has severely restricted the Bahai faith both before and after the revolution. Shiite clerics consider the religion, which was founded in Iran in the 19th century and preaches spiritual unity, to be heresy.

Libya: Misratah Fighting Rages Despite Claims

7:15pm UK, Sunday April 24, 2011
Besieged Misratah has continued to be bombarded by rockets and automatic weapons, despite claims Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's army had fled the Libyan city.

While rebels claim they have retaken 80% of the coastal town, which is hemmed in on three sides by Gaddafi forces, hostilities continue, according to Sky's Alex Crawford, who is reporting from Misratah.

"Whatever they claim the shelling goes on, despite the claims," Crawford said.

On Sunday rebels in the besieged town said at least eight people were killed and more than 50 injured in ongoing clashes with government forces.

The country's deputy foreign minister had said the army suspended operations against rebels but not left the city as the regime negotiated with local tribes for a peaceful solution.

Final Shots: Battle For Misratah

See the final photos taken by Chris Hondros before he was killed in Misratah on April 20

"The armed forces have not withdrawn from Misratah," Khaled Kaim said.

"They have simply suspended their operations. The tribes are determined to solve the problem within 48 hours... We believe that this battle will be settled peacefully and not militarily."

Libyan expert Adel Darwish believes the next phase of fighting will involve more skirmishes between rebels and government forces, making it harder for Nato to assist with combat air support.

Libya Expert: Gaddafi Playing Political Game

Meanwhile, civilians who have cowered during the fighting are beginning to venture out in the debris-strewn streets, in search of food and clothing.

"In some parts of the city there is no home untouched and the shelves in the city's stores are emptying as supplies run down," Crawford said.

"There is still a fair amount of unease," Crawford said.

Save The Children said children as young as eight who are being cared for in Libyan refugee camps had reported being sexually assaulted by fighters during the conflict, but the charity could not say which side they came from.

Misratah is free, the rebels have won. Of Gaddafi's forces, some are killed and others are running away.

Rebel spokesman

The stand-off in Misratah follow its bloodiest day of fighting, with 28 dead and 100 wounded, according to doctor Khalid Abu Falra at Misratah's main private clinic.

He said that compared to an average daily death toll of 11.

On Saturday a rebel spokesman in Misratah had claimed: "Misratah is free, the rebels have won... Gaddafi's forces, some are killed and others are running away."

Rebels in Misratah remain upbeat after intense fighting

Elsewhere in the country, at least three explosions were heard in Tripoli as Nato aircraft flew over the capital.

Mr Kaim said Nato airstrikes had hit targets in Sirte, Gharyan, Aziziyah, Tripoli and Hira.

The Pentagon said the first US Predator drone to fire over Libya had hit a rocket launcher near Misratah on Saturday.

A number of Gaddafi's soldiers have been captured by rebels in Misratah

But after a month of air support it is still unclear which side holds the upper hand and fighters loyal to Col Gaddafi were said to have captured the town of Yafran in Libya's Western Mountains.

Rebels in that region captured a border post two days ago and had begun to rush badly-needed supplies to towns under attack, saying they were cheered by reports from Misratah.

"Gaddafi brigades seized control of the (Yafran) town centre and we are currently in nearby villages," a rebel fighter told al Arabiya television.

Picture Gallery

Crown Prince Of Bahrain Says No To Wedding

10:56pm UK, Sunday April 24, 2011

Damien Pearse, Sky News Online

The Crown Prince of Bahrain will not be attending the royal wedding on Friday, defusing a potentially embarassing row over his invitation.

Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa has turned down the invite

Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa was one of the hundreds of dignitaries from around the world on the guest list that was made public yesterday.

He had been expected to see William and Kate exchange vows at Westminster Abbey, but organisers were today informed he will not attend.

In a letter declining the invitation, the Crown Prince blamed the decision on the continuing unrest in the Gulf Kingdom.

But it was unclear whether diplomatic pressure had also been applied after the invitation sparked uproar from human rights campaigners in the UK.

The Crown Prince criticised the British media claiming it had "clearly sought to involve my potential attendance as a political proxy for wider matters involving Bahrain".

The Gulf state has cracked down violently on democracy protests in recent months.

Weeks of disturbances prompted the Bahraini King to impose martial law and invite in foreign troops during mid-march to help impose order.

There have been reports that dozens of doctors have been detained by government security forces targeting medical staff who have treated injured protesters.

Human rights campaigners called on Britain's royal family to withdraw the wedding invite.

The demand followed calls by the British government for Bahrain to respect human rights, urging it last week to investigate reports of deaths in custody and torture.

A Clarence House spokesman said: "We were informed this morning that the Crown Prince of Bahrain will no longer be attending, and the royal family will not be sending a representative."