Bahrain: Dozens of Protestors arrested and Injured on the 2nd Anniversary of Foreign GCC Peninsula Shield Deployment in Bahrain

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) expresses its grave concern regarding the many reports and cases received concerning the continuous human rights violations and excessive use of force across villages and cities by Bahrain authorities.
The 14th Feb Youth Collation called for civil disobience and multiple protests across Bahrain on the 2nd anniversary of the deployment of the GCC Peninsula Shield which was mainly comprised of Saudi and UAE troops aiming to quash the pro-democracy movement. It is understood that these forces continue to be located in Bahrain as there has been no official statement announcing their withdrawal from the country.


Photo: Educational Institution “Al-Khamees School” Was Extensively Teargased
The call for wide spread protests put the Bahrain authorities on alert and the presence of sedurity forces were allocated across the country. Since early in the morning many crowded villages were collectively punished via using extensive teargas. Places including mosques, schools (Khamis School) and construction sites (Juffair constructions) were also teargased causing suffocation to school children and migrant workers, respectively.
Protesters set up roadblocks of their own to prevent riot police from driving at high speed into the villages. This YouTube video taken yesterday (14th March 2013) is an example of how police armored vehicles are used to run over protesters (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lxCyTXYefs).


Photo: Policeman Trespassing and Raiding a House by Climbing Onto the Roof
Dozens of protestors were arbitrarily arrested, houses were broken into and raided without appropriate warrants, and documented cases of minor and serious injuries particularily on the faces and heads of protestors by using teargas canisters and shotgun. It has become apparent from documentation of injuries that security forces aim at the upper part of the body to cause maximum damage which has resulted in tens of cases of extra-judicial killings. This YouTube video shows a protestor raising the victory sign in front of riot police, and was almost shot at close range with a teargas canister (Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZn1NerRVzI).


Photo: Severe Injuries due to extensive use of force
Left: Injury on the calf musle due to C4 Canister
Right : Direct shotgun to the face

The hospitals in Bahrain remain militarized since March 2011, and injured protestors and their families fear transferring them to the hospitals, which may lead to severe complications including death, due to delaying treatment and interrogating the injured, sometimes while half unconscious. Yesterday, a young protestor was shot in the head and had to be hospitalized, afterwhich he received a summons from the public prosecution for interrogation.


Photo: Young boy being treated after suffocation of teargas

Photo: Businesses being attacked with teargas

Photo : Teargas Canisters used

Photo: Shotgun Canister which was used

Photo : Protestor being arrested

Photo: Large numbers of riot police attacking a village

The BCHR calls on the United States, the United Kingdom, the UN and all other allies and international institutions to put pressure on the Government of Bahrain to stop its use of excessive force in response to the continued protests, and to put an end to the culture of impunity by holding people accountable for the omgoing human rights violations, including officials in high positions and members of the ruling family.
The BCHR calls on European Governments and other ally Governments to Bahrain to stop supplying the government of Bahrain with arms that are used against peaceful protesters, which cause severe injuries and deaths.