Bahrain Mirror: Seven human rights organizations expressed their concern at the Bahraini authorities move to disperse Diraz protest by force, indicating that this would lead to a catastrophe, calling on the international institutions and human rights organizations to follow up the humanitarian situation in Diraz."

The organizations said in a joint statement that the authorities' sudden attack on the protestors outside Sheikh Isa Qassim's house, leader of Shiite sect, left a number of injuries due to the excessive use of live shots and shotguns by the security authorities, indicating that citizen Mosataf Hamdan (17 years) sustained a fatal injury."

The statement signed by Bahrain Human Rights Observatory, Bahrain Forum for Human Rights, Salam for Democracy and Human Rights, Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, European Bahraini Organization for Human Rights and German Organization for Human Rights and Democracy read "a masked group of commandos affiliated to the security apparatuses used excessive force to attack protestors in Diraz at the dawn of Friday at about 2:20 AM. They also stressed that "protestors in Diraz are practicing their legitimate right of peaceful assembly."

The statement indicated that Diraz has been on siege since 221 days. This comes in violation of article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The organizations went on to say Dirazis complain about standing for long hours at the checkpoints as well as banning the access of drinking water and food to the village. Residents also complained about restricting the freedom of transportation, summoning over 100 citizens and arresting a number of them and the continuous cutting off the internet, stressing that the continuation of these security measures affected the humanitarian and service conditions in Diraz.

Arabic Version