Bahrain Live Coverage: Activist Zainab Alkhawaja Gets 1-Month Sentence

See also Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Day 2 of a Presidential Election
Wednesday's Bahrain Live Coverage: A March in Sitra

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1640 GMT: A policewoman charged with torturing journalist Naziha Saeed during last year's crackdown on protests will go on trial next month, prosecutors said today.

The unnamed officer is accused of "us[ing] force against the victim to make her confess to a crime". Saeed, the Bahraini correspondent of France 24 and Radio Monte Carlo Doualiya, was arrested on 22 May 2011.

The statement continued, "[The policewoman] beat her and caused her...harm...[by] slapping her, beating her with a plastic tubing, kicking her in all parts of her body, in addition to insulting her."

The first court hearing is set for 6 June.

Saeed recounted her experience earlier this week:

a policewoman asked me 2 imitate donkey's walk&voice, &she sat on me but I fell on the ground cause she s huge &I'm skinny #Bahrain #torture

— nazihasaeed (@nazihasaeed) May 22, 2012

beatings and insults Continued for hours in which they rotate beating by officer &policewomen between me & the nurses #Bahrain #torture

— nazihasaeed (@nazihasaeed) May 22, 2012

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Turkey Live Coverage (24 May): Erdogan Government Sidelining Its Minister of Interior?

1220 GMT: Following Minister of Interior İdris Naim Şahin's recent announcement that the order of the Uludere operation  --- which killed 34 civilians in January --- was given by top air force commanders, the opposition BDP's deputy Hasip Kaplan has responded in Parliament:

Let us ask this to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Mehdi Eker, since the Defence Minister is not present here. He will give a better answer. Which beast gave that order?

1100 GMT: A deputy of the opposition Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), Leyla Zana, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of spreading propaganda for PKK.

Zana was convicted in 1994 for having links to PKK and she was released in 2004.

1030 GMT: The Deputy Chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Hüseyin Çelik, criticised Minister of Interior İdris Naim Şahin for his recent remarks on the Uludere incident in January, which killed 34 civilians as they were smuggling goods from Iraq. Çelik disowned Şahin's claim that the slain were smuggling for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), as “extras” of the militant group. Çelik said:

We think this approach and style by Mr. Minister is not humane. It is also clear that the style and approach of Mr. Minister does not belong to the AK Party. It is not possible to get something right from something wrong. If they had been captured alive, they would be put on trial on charges of smuggling, but this incident overshadowed the smuggling issue. 

Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Day 2 of a Presidential Election

2045 GMT: Syria. According to the Local Coordinating Committees of Syria, 38 people have been killed so far today:

10 martyrs were reported in Idlib, 7 in Hama, 6 in Damascus Suburbs (Beit Jinn, Zabadani, Abadah and Douma), 12 in Homs (Rastan, Qosair and Deir Baalba), 1 in Daraa (Kalzour), 1 in Deir Ezzor, and 1 in Aleppo.

2025 GMT: Syria. Many suspect that the results of the parliamentary election were rigged. The process itself excluded many parties and candidates that would have been legitimate challenges to the status quo. Earlier today I wrote about the convenient symmetry of the results of the parliamentary election and today's leadership vote. Everything about the election smells fishy.

Today, parliament met for the first time and elected their leadership board. To no great surprise, a former the Baath party official won the position of speaker. The rest of the results (English) are published by Syrian state media's SANA here (Arabic).

So, the former Baath party makes up the majority of the parliament, and the leadership. If you're the Syrian opposition, this sounds rigged. But if you're the Twitter Account Hama Echo, then you KNOW it's rigged:

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The Latest from Iran (24 May): Day 2 of the Nuclear Talks in Baghdad

See also Iran Special: Statement By EU's Catherine Ashton After Baghdad Talks
Iran Snap Analysis: A Way Out of Pessimism for the Nuclear Talks?
The Latest from Iran (23 May): Nuclear Talks in Baghdad

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EU's Catherine Ashton & Iran's Saeed Jalili1925 GMT: Nuclear Watch Special. Back from a break for a run to find the confirmation by the European Union's Catherine Ashton --- see statement in separate feature --- that there will be a third set of nuclear discussions, in Moscow on 18-19 June, between Iran and the 5+1 Powers (US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China).

There is much more to the statement, however. We will have a special analysis tomorrow, but note for now:

1. Ashton tipped off the large gap between the 5+1 Powers and Iran on approach and proposals. The US and Europe effectively said, "We will only talk easing of sanctions after you give us what we want on your uranium enrichment." Iran said at the same time, "Ease the sanctions and then we will consider giving you what you want."

2. This gap was so wide that the Iranians were on the point of walking away from the talks on Wednesday night. Ashton's emergency session with Iran's Saeed Jalili --- almost two hours --- plus intervention from China and Russia probably averted that breakdown.

3. Moscow as a location for the next talks is a concession to Iran for continuing to talk. So is the date --- the discussions come two weeks before the European Union is scheduled to ban imports of Iranian oil.

4. But Moscow is now "make or break". Either the US and Europe find enough to reverse the 1 July ban on Iranian oil, or the negotiations will break down with Iran's declaration that the West will accept nothing less than its capitulation.

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Iran Snap Analysis: A Way Out of Pessimism for the Nuclear Talks?

Perhaps the one definite that can be said at this point is that "success" will consist, as the "senior American official" indicated, in agreeing a third round of formal talks for next month. 

However, that only returns us --- and, more significantly, Tehran --- to a bigger uncertainty. The US and its allies can afford that "success" and take their time; Iran may not be able to. As we noted at the start of Wednesday:

Here's the problem. The Islamic Republic may not have the time to "play long". The economy is tottering. The US, Europe, and now some countries and institutions elsewhere have put the squeeze on Iran's Central Bank and financial transactions. And now 1 July looms --- the day that the European Union imposes a ban on imports of oil from Iran.

Barring an unforeseen level of agreement today, how does Tehran cope with that Damocles' Sword?

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The Latest from Iran (23 May): Nuclear Talks in Baghdad

The European Union's Catherine Ashton meets Iran's Saeed Jalili at today's nuclear talks in Baghdad

See also Iran Snap Analysis: How the Nuclear Talks Developed Today
See also Iran Feature: The Week in Civil Society --- Standing Against Homophobia, Defending Students, and More
Iran Analysis: A Guide to Watching Today's Nuclear Talks
The Latest from Iran (22 May): Tehran Plays Up Hope for Nuclear Talks

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2050 GMT: Nuclear Watch. After a bilateral meeting between the EU's Catherine Ashton and Iran's Saeed Jalili of almost two hours, discussions have ended in Baghdad for today.

2010 GMT: Nuclear Prediction Comes True. EA this morning:

Iranian media features the line of politicians and clerics that any discussion must begin with a "Western" offer to ease sanctions. That is the requirement for the talks to move to consideration of limits and monitoring of Tehran's enrichment.

Scott Peterson of the Christian Science Monitor this evening:

"The response from the Iranian side is: 'What you are asking for is ... not what we agreed to in Istanbul,'" an Iranian diplomat close to the talks [said[, referring to the demands of six world powers that include Iran capping uranium enrichment and scrapping a deeply buried facility.

Steps were meant to be “reciprocal, simultaneous, and ... balanced” in their value to each side, says the Iranian diplomat. Instead, Iran was told there would be “consideration” of easing sanctions “later,” after Iran made concessions.

EA this morning:

Behind the public pose, there has to be a significant assurance by the Americans and Europeans over sanctions, on the basis that Iran will not demand self-sufficiency in enriching uranium to 20%.

Peterson this evening:

"This is what we were afraid of," says the Iranian diplomat. "No one is going to accept these things this way. [Giving up] the 20 percent and shutting down Fordow [enrichment plant], in return for nothing? Nothing?"

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Bahrain Live Coverage: A March in Sitra

See also Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: An Election in Cairo, Conflict Beyond Damascus
Tuesday's Bahrain Live Coverage: Appearing Before the UN Human Rights Council

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2035 GMT: According to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Bahraini regime has agreed to consider recommendations to release political prisoners, outlaw torture and join the International Criminal Court.

The Council said Bahrain will consider 176 recommendations submitted by other nations. part of a review that all 193 U.N. members are required to undergo every four years.

The regime was heavily criticised earlier this week, even by the US and Britain, for its repression of dissent and abuses since mass protests began in February 2011.

1805 GMT: Activists using the Twitter account of the detained activist Zainab Alkhawaja have posted a lengthy letter, dated 19 May, that she wrote in prison. An extract:

If I get released, every village I pass through will shout the names of countless prisoners of conscience. #Bahrain

— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) May 23, 2012

All the walls will show me their faces. Around me, I will see their grief-stricken mothers and fathers, their wives, their children #Bahrain

— angry arabiya (@angryarabiya) May 23, 2012

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Syria Opinion: Empty Talk --- The US and Its Allies Have No Strategy to End This Crisis

Protesters in Kafranbel in Idlib Province send a message to President Obama, 16 December 2011

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What is left as a strategy? Hope. The EU hopes that sanctions will topple the regime. Kofi Annan hopes the observers will end the violence. Obama hopes that Kofi Annan is right. NATO hopes that if then does not work, then Obama will do all the work himself. Saudi Arabia hopes that getting the Syrian insurgents some AK-47s or high-powered sniper rifles will topple the regime. Turkey hopes that refugees will stop flocking across its borders. The whole world hopes that, as the crisis draws on, jihadis, who are loving every minute of this, will not get involved.

The problem? There is absolutely no evidence that any of those hopes will succeed.

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Turkey Live Coverage (23 May): Tough Line on "Counter-Terrorism"...and Israel's Military

1725 GMT: Diyarbakir's Mayor Osman Baydemir hosted the native Indian music group Inca Sol. Baydemir said:

Kurdish people understand you very well. Kurds have experienced the same tragedies your forefathers had faced. We would like you to know that Kurdish people has great respect to your people.

1600 GMT: Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin accused the Assad regime for allowing PKK members to establish bases in Syrian territory. He claimed that even some PKK gorups were running small towns close to the Turkish border. Şahin continued:

Syria is turning a blind eye to terrorist groupings in areas close to the border to put Turkey in difficulty and perhaps as a way to take revenge on Turkey.

As known, Syria has also been accusing Turkey for training and arming the opposition forces within the turkish territories which is denied by Ankara.

1445 GMT: During his visit to Kazakhstan, Erdogan told his counterpart Karim Mansimov that they were very pleased to have carried the bilateral relations to strategic partnership in 2009. 

After he had stated that the total amount of Turkish business investment in the country reached around $2.5 billion, Erdogan said to Mansimov:

My brother, you know that I want 3 kids from each family in Turkey. You should say here not 3 but 5! Because all financial opportunities along with a vast area over 2 million 700 thousand square meters are fine. 

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Egypt, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: An Election in Cairo, Conflict Beyond Damascus

1924 GMT: Syria. Speaking of gasoline, scenes like the one below, reportedly taken today in Kanaker, Damascus, are increasingly common. The prices of refined gasoline and diesel have skyrocketed, and widespread shortages are reported. The government claims that the shortages are the result of sanctions, but as Robert Ford points out (in the previous update) refined oil was exempt from foreign sanctions in order to avoid this problem. These shortages are the result of the military using up all the fuel.

1835 GMT: Syria. The Syrian government claims that foreign economic sanctions have cost the country $4 billion, a number which is low, according to many other estimates:

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