This report by the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) highlights the alarming and ongoing pattern of targeting, arresting, and discriminating against children in Bahrain. Despite their protected status under international law, Bahraini children—some as young as 12—are routinely subjected to intimidation, arbitrary detention, and abuse, particularly for participating in protests or expressing dissent.
BCHR has documented repeated incidents in which children have been interrogated without legal safeguards, detained in adult facilities, denied education, and treated as security threats rather than individuals entitled to care and protection. These violations are compounded by broader discriminatory policies that disproportionately impact children from marginalized communities, especially those from Shia-majority areas.
These actions not only violate Bahrain’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) but also reflect a deliberate strategy to suppress dissent by instilling fear in the youngest members of society. The systematic nature of these abuses indicates a policy of criminalizing childhood expression, particularly when it challenges the state narrative.
Through this report, BCHR aims to shed light on these grave violations, amplify the voices of affected families, and urge the international community to hold Bahraini authorities accountable for the mistreatment of children.
Read the full report here.