4 April 2011
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), and other national and international human rights organizations, have documented severe violations by the Bahrain authorities including; 27 killed, more than a thousand injured, around 400 detained and approx 30 disappeared while the Bahrain government failed to support with evidence its stories about sectarian conflict or organized violence committed by protesters.
Since the start of the uprising in 14 February, no credible documentation exists of sectarian clashes or systematic use of violence by protestors. During the uprising, residents of Sunni neighborhoods were stormed with messages from unidentified sources that they are going to be attacked by Shia’. The official TV and radio run by the government, many pro government daily newspapers and website have been fueling sectarian tension, however, up to date, no Sunni resident areas or gathering were attacked nor there were any clashes between Shia’ and Sunnis ordinary residents.
4 April 2011
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), and other national and international human rights organizations, have documented severe violations by the Bahrain authorities including; 27 killed, more than a thousand injured, around 400 detained and approx 30 disappeared while the Bahrain government failed to support with evidence its stories about sectarian conflict or organized violence committed by protesters.
Since the start of the uprising in 14 February, no credible documentation exists of sectarian clashes or systematic use of violence by protestors. During the uprising, residents of Sunni neighborhoods were stormed with messages from unidentified sources that they are going to be attacked by Shia’. The official TV and radio run by the government, many pro government daily newspapers and website have been fueling sectarian tension, however, up to date, no Sunni resident areas or gathering were attacked nor there were any clashes between Shia’ and Sunnis ordinary residents.
The protestors did not use violence when they occupied, controlled or left the Pearl Square, the Financial Harbor and the highway between them. None of their huge, well documented demonstrations and gatherings showed any signs of violence[1] . At the same time, all video tapes show the use of unnecessary excessive force by the Security police and the army against the peaceful protesters, leading to the death of many protesters and hundreds of injuries[2] . According to the Ministry of Interior, warning was given to the protesters to leave before the square was attacked the first time (17th February). According to testimonies, There was no warning. In the video broadcasted ten hours after the attack by national television, a man with a small speaker gives warning seconds before the attack[3] . Rationally, there is no way people down in the roundabout could hear him. Women and children were sleeping inside the tents when the attacks happened and were not given time to leave before the initiation of the attack. The attack that morning was very violent and resulted in 3 deaths and more than 500 injuries. Those who were killed, three of them were shot at close range, which makes it intentional killing, and the fourth person had main artilleries in his legs cut causing him to bleed out.
Click to view photos (Graphic)
Isa AbdulHassan, 61 years old
Mahmood Makki Bu Taki, 21 years old
Ali Abdulla AlMoamen, 23 years old
Official sources claimed that three policemen lost their lives during the operation to clear the area but only broadcasted a few injured police on national television. The identity of only one dead policeman was revealed by official sources, Ali Ahmad Rashid Al-Mraisi, claiming that he was run over by a car. The authorities could not provide any evidence that protesters used violence or interrupted the work at Salmaniya Medical hospital, while there is mounting evidence of violence and harassment used by the army and security police against the injured, the doctors and health workers when they took over the hospital[4] .
When the protesters announced that they would march to the Royal (King’s) Court, messages went around that the protestors were coming to attack the Sunni residential area of Riffa (where Royal Court is based). The National Guard and pro government members of parliament organized a gathering of hundreds of their supporters and security men in plain clothes to block the way of the march to the Royal Court. Videos show most participants of this gathering, including a Member of Parliament[5] , armed with swords and clubs and other sharp elements. Despite threats, around one hundred thousand peaceful protestors participated in the march in a very peaceful manner. When the march ended and the protesters were leaving, pro government thugs attacked protesters injuring some of them and smashing their cars while anti riot police supported the thugs by firing nerve gas on protestors causing hundreds of them severe suffocation as reported by hospitals[6] .
The next day there was a march to the King’s Palace (Safriya) by around 200,000 people who went in very peaceful manner despite provocations by pro government, small groups of thugs who damaged cars of some participants and harassed press reporters.
On the other hand, all checkpoints that terrorize people around Bahrain are controlled by security or pro government thugs supported by police carrying arms or white weapons hunting suspected dissidents and deliberately harassing and humiliating Shia’ residents[7] . Many people were severely beaten, killed or disappeared at theses checkpoints. There is mounting evidence and video films of security police vandalizing cars[8] in Shia residential areas, attacking peaceful protesters and shooting them at close range[9] .
Regarding the cases of the Pakistani nationals who were injured in Manama (including Fareed Mugbel who died later at the hospital) there is evidence that they were injured during attacks by hundreds of pro government thugs on Shia residents on 13 March[10] . Many of the thugs, who were caught or transferred to hospitals by residents, were Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. Some said that they were paid BD20 ($50) to join the attack, others were policemen in civilian clothes (carrying MOI ID cards)[11] . Many of the security forces in Bahrain are from Pakistan and are believed to be associated with the crackdown against anti-government protesters. The wide use of foreign nationals in the security forces, especially from Pakistan, has created mounting tension between citizens and these nationals[12] . There is also evidence that the security forces in Bahrain have been recruiting hundreds of Pakistani’s since March 1st [13] .No such tension is reported with other Asian expats such as from India or Sri Lanka. An Indian security guard, Steven Ebraham, lost his life when he was killed by a stray bullet shot by the army against protestors, while a Bengali, Mohammed Ekhlass, was shot in the head by security forces attacking protesters in Sitra village on 14th March when he tried to help women.
Cases fabricated by the pro government media to flame sectarian tension:
In a response to a case that has been reported in almost all pro government media, the ambassador of Bangladesh denied the alleged case of a Sunni Bangladeshi national who is said to be in coma due to being attacked by Shia demonstrators “who cut his tongue off to prevent him from reciting Azzan”[14] .
In another case, pro government media claimed that a Sunni woman was harassed by protestors camping at the Financial Harbor, while the testimonies given by many eyewitnesses and as documented by the BCHR says that a car entered the gathering of protestors, in an intentional attempt to provoke response. The protesters asked the woman in the car to leave and two organizers made way for her, she stepped on the gas and ran over them[15] . Video tape published by pro government source show thousands of protestors around the car, while a police officer was called to report the accident and the driver left without any harm. Few hours later, an anonymous source circulated the personal details of the driver and her address, which is normally available in official data, calling for revenge. In the evening, hundreds of pro government thugs with sticks and swords surrounded the house of the driver claiming that they intended to protect her from protesters. They then went in groups into the main street searching for any Shia’ entering Muharraq (where the driver lived).
In another case, Bahraini authorities alleged an attack on University of Bahrain by protesters targeting Sunni students. According to eyewitnesses, the attack was carried out by pro-government thugs who were allowed on campus by the university security. The thugs carried sticks, swords and knives and attacked students who were peacefully protesting in the open space of the university[16] . They then also vandalized the university classes and buildings. There are several videos showing the pro-government thugs standing with the security forces[17] and in one video one of the thugs attacks a female nurse.
Pro government outlets distributed amateur video films showing a car running over a body claiming that it was anti government protestors dismantling a body of a policeman[18] . However, neither the publisher nor the authorities, who used the video unofficially, mentioned the names of the victims. Moreover, a close slow show of the first video shows one of the attackers holding a rifle and ammunition bag which is carried only by security police[19] and the other video shows that when the “body” was kicked by one of the “offenders”, it flew a few feet into the air which proves that it was a mannequin (doll) and not the body of a real person[20] . To add to that, in a clear attempt to distort the truth, local media published the picture of Ahmed Abdulla who was killed by the security forces, depicting him as a police officer killed by the protesters[21] .
Ahmad Abdulla Alarnoot, 21 years from Tubli, killed on Tuesday 15 March, cause of death: live ammunition.
The Full list of all those who have been killed in Bahrain since Feb 14
Recommendation:
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) calls upon the UN, the international human rights organizations and other international actors to take the responsibility of investigating violations by the authorities and its allegations of sectarian conflict and the use of violence by protestors. Without truth finding, the international community will fail to address the severe situation in Bahrain and the reparation and reconciliation will be remote.
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[1]Suppression of a peaceful protest in Al Diraz village in BahrainPeacful Protests of Bahrain
Protest in front of Ministry of Information
[2]17th February attack on peaceful protestors in “Lulu” pearl roundabout (Part1)
17th February attack on peaceful protestors in “Lulu” pearl roundabout (Part2)
Bahrain’s army deliberately kills peaceful protesters with live rounds ( automatic weapon )
Graphic photos of killed protester
Weapons used against protesters
[3]Minute 1:34
[4]Army& Police beating nurse Bahrain
[5]Royal Court Pro-government gathering
[6]Injured protesters at royal court rally
pro government thugs
[7]Bahrain’s calculated campaign of intimidation [8]police-vandalism-in-bahrain-smash-it-up
The so-called security forces damage citizens Cars in Bahrain
[9]Bahrain protester is shot in face at close range
Bahrain-protester-shot-point-blank-head-5-killed-violent-clashes
[10]Graphic – Pakistani nationals who were injured in Manama
[11]ID Card
Photos (graphic)
[12]Wall Street Journal: Bahrain’s Foreign Police Add to Tensions
[13]Bahrain Urgently Recruits More Mercenaries Amidst Political Crisis
[14]Foreign Labourers Targeted Throughout Bahrain
[15]Woman ran over orgnizer at the Financial Harbor protest
[16]Thugs at Bahrain University
[17]run over police in Bahrain protests
[18]same as previous one
[19]same as previous one
[20]Bahraini Protests Attack Dead Police Man !!!
[21]photo on the newspaper
