Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): On February 18, 2018, the martyrdom of 3 Bahraini wanted by security authorities was announced. The 3 died at sea while attempting to flee to Iran. Meanwhile, a fourth accompanying them was announced missing.

A statement issued by the media committee of Karbabad youth said that the "incident took place on Wednesday, February 7, 2018".

The statement mentioned the names of the pursued martyrs: Sayed Kassim Khalil Darwish (23 years old), Maytham Ali Ibrahim (22 years old) and Sayed Mahmoud Adel Kazem (22 years old). The missing citizen until that moment was said to be Hasan Ali Abbas Al-Bahrani (25 years old).

Sources from the opposition confirmed that the youths drowned in territorial water near Iran in mysterious conditions. Meanwhile, Bahraini authorities said that they didn't receive any notice about missing people at sea.

As the head of Bahraini coast guards announced that the authorities are following the incident to determine its circumstances, no other statement was issued by official parties regarding the case.

Stripped of his nationality Shiite cleric Sheikh Mohammad Khojasteh said "there are traces of about 30 gunshots in the boat."

Sheikh Abdullah Al-Daqaq did not rule out that the four martyrs were attacked by Bahraini forces or pirates who were in Iranian waters, noting that the boat was found stolen without its engine and equipment.

"The four martyrs left Bahrain on a boat (February 7, 2018). Their boat was found at sea three days later and the first bodies were found seven days later," said Al-Daqaq, who resides in Iran.

He pointed out that the Iranian authorities began search operations since day one, but did not find them. Al-Daqaq also highlighted that the martyrs fled from Bahrain as a result of the harsh torture they were subjected to in prison.

Tens of thousands participated in the funeral procession of the three Bahraini "martyrs of freedom" in the Iranian city of Qom. Meanwhile, funerals were held for them in Karbabad where the prominent Bahraini Shiite cleric, Sayed Abdullah Al-Ghoraifi, took part in.

Three other Bahrainis who also took part in the escape, in fact, managed to arrive in Iran. They appeared attending a lecture in the Iranian holy city of Qom praising their slain fellows, according to Reuters.

Reuters said that the 3 died in unexplained circumstances.

A Bahraini security official; however, denied any involvement of its forces in the incident. According to Bahraini security dossiers on the men lost at sea reviewed by Reuters, all had been convicted in absentia for attacking police and taking part in riots and were on the run inside Bahrain.

About three weeks later, the body of martyr Hassan Ali Al-Bahrani was found off the Iranian coast of Bushehr. He was buried in Iran.

Al-Wefaq Society mourned the martyrs and said that they tried to escape to Iran because of the "the lack of security and safety in their homeland in Bahrain," stressing that "they left seeking a place where they would guarantee their safety and lives." Al-Wefaq further stated that the youths were "among those who were persecuted and under security pressure."

Meanwhile, a local newspaper close to the government tried to falsify the facts by claiming that the youths had been killed in Syria, the newspaper published an announcement in the Persian language claiming it was mourning their deaths in eastern Ghouta in Syria, while the announcement was in fact about the date of their funeral procession in the Iranian city of Qom, and stated that they were martyred in Gulf waters.

Arabic Version