Ali Jassim al-Ghanmi ( Arabic: علي جاسم الغانمي) (born c. 1987) is a Bahraini former policeman who came to public attention for leaving his post and joining protesters in February 2011 of the Bahraini uprising (2011–present). On 9 January 2012, he was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment.

Pearl Roundabout incident

In February 2011, large-scale pro-democracy protests began in Bahrain as part of the international Arab Spring. The center of the protests was

Pearl Roundabout The GCC Roundabout, known as Pearl Roundabout or Lulu Roundabout (Arabic language, Arabic: ', "Roundabout of the pearl(s)" was a roundabout located near the Central business district, financial district of Manama, Bahrain. The roundabout was nam ...

in Manama, which protesters compared to

Tahrir Square Tahrir Square ( ar, ميدان التحرير ', , English language, English: Liberation Square), also known as "Martyr Square", is a major public town square in downtown Cairo, Egypt. The square has been the location and focus for political dem ...

in the recent Egyptian revolution. The roundabout saw several battles between protesters and police, including a 17 February pre-dawn raid that killed four protesters and injured one hundred more. After seeing the violence, al-Ghanmi left his guard post and joined the crowd, announcing to them that he could no longer support "a killer institution". The crowd hoisted him on their shoulders, and al-Ghanmi became an immediate "mini-celebrity" of the protest movement. In the month that followed, al-Ghanmi criticized Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain, at a series of rallies. According to an activist interviewed by BBC News, approximately two hundred police followed al-Ghanmi's example and defected, almost all of whom were also later arrested. Human Rights First described him as a hero of the Arab Spring for his actions during the protests.

Arrest and trial

In March 2011, the government of Bahrain brought Gulf Co-operation Council troops led by Saudi Arabian forces into the country to battle the protesters, and the protesters were dislodged from the Pearl Roundabout. Al-Ghanmi went into hiding to avoid the crackdown. His family alleged that they were threatened in an effort to make them reveal his whereabouts. Al-Ghanmi was discovered and arrested on 4 May. From September 2011 to January 2012, al-Ghanmi was held in solitary confinement, allegedly for shouting "Down, down, Hamad" in the prison yard. In December 2011, al-Ghanmi's lawyer alleged that al-Ghanmi had been subject to insults, abuse, and beatings by his guards. On 9 January 2012, al-Ghanmi was sentenced to twelve years' imprisonment by a military court for having defected from the police: two years for "disturbing the peace", three years for "incitement to hatred against the government", and seven and a half years for his going

absent without leave Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which a ...

and his participation in the rallies.

Responses

Al Wefaq, Bahrain's main opposition party, said that al-Ghanmi arrest is "yet another prove that the government only recognizes Bassiouni Report when it comes to official statements for media consumption".""الوفاق": الحكم على الشرطي الغانمي مصداق على عدم اعتراف الحكومة بتقرير بسيوني"
(in Arabic). Bahrain Mirror. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.

Personal life

Al-Ghanmi is married and has a daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghanmi, Ali 1980s births Living people Prisoners and detainees of Bahrain