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"The Iraqi and Syrian Ba'ath: A History of Distorting Facts and Concealing Evidence

In decades of political repression and ongoing human rights violations, the Ba'athist governments in Iraq and Syria have become a model for gruesome grave exhumation and evidence concealment. The roots of these practices trace back to when the Ba'ath Party took power in Iraq in 1968 under Saddam Hussein and in Syria in 1963 under Hafez al-Assad.
In Iraq, Saddam Hussein's era witnessed a brutal use of force to maintain the regime. Grave exhumation and evidence destruction were integral parts of the intimidation and coercion policies that characterized this regime. For instance, during the Anfal campaign in the 1980s, the Iraqi government exhumed graves and concealed evidence of its crimes against the Kurds.
In Syria, the Ba'athist legacy of torture and oppression continued under the rule of Hafez al-Assad and his son Bashar. The regime established hundreds of detention and torture centers, witnessing crimes against humanity. This is vividly evident in grave exhumation operations to bury thousands of political detainees who were killed or died due to torture.
The urgency to uncover the truth and achieve justice intensifies, especially given the attempts by the Iraqi and Syrian regimes to destroy evidence and distort facts. The history of the Ba'ath in Iraq and Syria serves as a painful lesson about the importance of confronting violations and seeking justice for the victims.
This becomes particularly apparent with the recent news about satellite images revealing the grave exhumation in Qatifa near Damascus, an area currently under the control of the Syrian regime. The timeline of these operations closely associates with the Syrian regime, with evidence clearly pointing to their initiation last year.
The images show an acceleration in exhumation operations at the end of 2022, halting in January 2023, corroborated by the Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Sednaya Prison confirming the construction of a wall around the graveyard in 2019. This raises concerns about the regime's attempts to destroy mass graves and erase evidence of torture and enforced disappearances.
Recent satellite images expose clear efforts to hide the truth, making it imperative to uncover these crimes and hold the responsible parties accountable. Failure to do so opens the door for the regime's attempts to conceal evidence and reshape history to align with its interests.
It is now evident that the international community must intervene promptly and establish international teams to investigate these events. The lack of international intervention might provide the regime and its allies with an opportunity to hide evidence and distort the facts. This case underscores the importance of transparency and international accountability to ensure justice is served and prevent the recurrence of such heinous crimes.
The example of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, with grave exhumation and evidence concealment to obfuscate its crimes against political dissidents, parallels what occurred in North Korea with grave exhumation and evidence disappearance as part of a history of human rights violations against the North Korean people, as well as the Iraqi people. These examples illustrate how such operations can be part of the suppression policies and attempts to cover up the crimes of dictatorial governments. This emphasizes the importance of international intervention to investigate these events and achieve justice.
The lack of international intervention and attempts to exhume graves and conceal evidence can be considered part of the regime's attempts to stay afloat and avoid accountability. These actions indicate the regime's desire to hide its crimes and oppressive practices, thereby evading international scrutiny and legal consequences.
By destroying evidence and distorting facts, the regime seeks to tarnish its human rights record and justify its actions. This behavior reflects the regime's dedication to remaining in power and avoiding accountability when more evidence emerges of human rights violations.
Therefore, the regime's floating is intertwined with attempts to avoid legal and political consequences through evidence concealment and distortion of international investigations and reports."
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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