You are in the 256th Witness Revolution diary, bearing witness to pro-democracy movements in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. We aim here to simply report, from as many reliable worldwide resources as possible, on the successes, challenges or failures of the brave people striving against oppression for representative democracy with civil and human rights. One small bit of assurance that they do not strive in obscurity. Please see the 200th edition where participants shared what this series means to them.
TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
SYRIA
In Homs city, Bab Alsibaa neighborhood, Zainab brother: Muhammad Al-Husni was one of the the well known activists. Security & Shabiha (regime-sponsored gangs) raided his family home so many times looking for him that his family had to leave their home, they rented a home in Al-Naziheen neighborhood. As Muhammad had to stay in hiding, his 19 years old daughter had to bring groceries for the family; which is not safe due to the siege and to the poverty that took hold of Homs city under the regime collective punishment for the residents for holding peaceful anti-regime demonstrations.
On the morning of the 2nd of the month of Ramadan (coincided with the 2nd of August) the young woman was abducted, the regime had ear dropped on the family’s calls (wireless & landlines) for awhile before that. After 5 days of the abduction, the family received a phone call saying that Zainab can be returned if the “wanted” Muhammad is surrendered to security forces. They specified a place in an unsafe neighborhood, so the family was trying to find a safer place in the city for the exchange but the other side closed the phone. On the 13th of September the family was shocked when they got the news that their son Muhammad was killed at the hands of security & the intelligence agency, they went to receive his body from the Military Hospital in Homs. During that visit & by accident the family was informed that there was a 19 years old young woman in the morgue, the family went to investigate, at 1st they could not recognize her; as her head was cut off, her arms cut off from the shoulders, there were evidence of torture on her back, her face burned, & signs of burning showing on most of her body. The family was not allowed to receive their daughter till they signed promising not to video her body nor to hold a funeral procession.........
YEMEN
September 22th - Evening march in Aden
Mass march came out in Aden to condemn the crimes committed by the regime against the peaceful protesters.
BAHRAIN
photo from pro-democracy gathering
PALESTINE
(ht soysauce 9/22)
Demonstration in Ramallah
country by country updates below the fold
Thank you for bearing witness