Bahrain Mirror: The Department of Freedoms and Human Rights at Al-Wefaq Society issued a report entitled "Bahrain: An Icon of Repression", on the human rights situation in Ashura and related events. The report monitored 140 violations committed by the Bahraini authorities between June 9, 2023, and August 2, 2023, ranging from violations in prisons, summonses, arbitrary arrests, raids, checkpoints, street closures, removal of banners and provocative practices, and sporadic violations. 

The report stated that there was "a deliberate intimidation by the security authorities and spreading a state of panic among them by deploying security forces in residential areas without clear and logical justifications," noting that "the number of raids at separate times reached 39 in 24 areas."

"On Monday, May 22, 2023, the security authorities arrested His Eminence Sheikh Mohammad Sanqour, preacher of the Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque in Diraz area, where the largest Friday prayer in Bahrain is held, after speaking about the issue of amending school curricula, deleting religious facts related to Jews, and closing the file of political prisoners," noting that "as a result, the authorities started to to restrict access to the mosque, set up checkpoints, and summoned citizens over their participation in the mosque."

"The forces set up 15 checkpoints at various entrances to Diraz area for 3 consecutive weeks (on Fridays) to restrict the holding of central Friday prayers at the Imam Sadiq Mosque (peace be upon him)," the report said.

It stated: "In continuation of the restrictions practiced against citizens who attempted to reach the Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque in Diraz, the security authorities closed on Friday, June 16, 2023, two streets that lead citizens to the mosque, one of them is in the area and has been permanently closed, and the other leads to Diraz through Al-Budai Street (Saar Roundabout). Restrictions on citizens were repeated on the following Friday, June 23, 2023."

It recalled what was mentioned in the Human Rights Watch report that "Bahraini authorities prevented Shia worshippers from performing Friday prayers at Bahrain's largest Shia mosque on Fridays in June."

"Bahraini authorities continue to systematically violate the right of Shia Muslims to practice their religious rituals related to the commemoration of Ashura every year, in contravention of individuals' right to freedom of belief and freedom of opinion and expression guaranteed in articles 18 and 19 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, because a large part of them belong to the opposition," the report noted.

It mentioned that "The Bahraini authorities have given themselves extensive authority to arbitrarily interpret Article 22 of the 2002 Constitution on religious rites and processions and religious meetings, and to arbitrarily interpret restrictions imposed by international law on freedom of belief and expression."

"The Bahraini authorities have used their powers of investigation and prosecution as tools of intimidation and punishment against preachers and eulogy reciters in order to impose restrictions on the freedoms of belief and expression of Shia Muslims, which are guaranteed in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in articles 18 and 19."

It went on to say that "the Bahraini authorities have used their bodies: the Ministry of Interior, the Capital Governorate, the Northern Governorate, the Jaafari Endowments Department, the statements of some heads of Ma'atam and husseiniyas, and media statements, to improve Bahrain's image in front of local and foreign opinion being a state that respects religious freedoms on the one hand, and on the other hand to impose more restrictions on Ashura commemorations."

The report referred to "the various violations carried out by security forces in removing Ashura banners during the early hours of dawn, so that time allows them to remove and confiscate them comfortably and without objections or citizens' cameras capturing them." 

Eight cases of removing Ashura banners were monitored in Al-Markh, Hamad Town, Eskan A'ali (twice), Ghuraifa, Abu Saiba, Saar, Barbar, and Diraz area before the start of the Ashura season, as the security services confiscated banners of a march near the Imam Al-Sadiq Mosque (peace be upon him).

The report pointed to "a new method adopted by the Ministry of Interior in Al-Qadam area, by contacting the person in charge of the Sheikh Abdullah Mosque and obliging him to remove the Ashura banners outside the mosque."

The report highlighted "other provocative practices against citizens participating in Ashura events and other religious occasions, including: closing the gate of the shrine of the companion Sa'asa'a bin Souhan with bricks and cement in Askar area," adding that "despite the resentment of citizens on social media about this behavior against their holy sites, the authority continued its measures. In addition, the Capital Municipality removed "Love of Hussein" free food stand (Madeef)."

The report tackled the arbitrary arrests, noting that "the security authorities arrested citizen Ali Hussein Al-Najjar in the capital, Manama, over his participation in distributing water to the participants in the Ashura ceremony and accused him of cursing Yazid ibn Muawiyah, the murderer of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), who Muslims unanimously agreed on his immorality and incompetence to deal with Muslim matters."

After the attack and the confiscation of Ashura banners in A'ali, some residents came out to object to the security measures in confiscating tools related to the revival of their religious rites, so the security authorities arrested Hussein Abdulzahraa and Mansour Abdulaziz and later released them, according to the report.

Regarding violations in prisons, the report documented "two cases of collective violation in Jaw Central Prison, the first during Eid Al-Adha, and the second during Ashura," explaining that "Ahead of the Ashura season, some prisoners hung black bags and some handicrafts and art made by them after it became clear that there were promises from the prison administration to provide them with the required items, but the prison authorities did not provide them."

Al-Wefaq called on the Bahraini authorities to "cease their repressive practices that violate the religious freedoms of Shia Muslims and restrict freedom of expression."  It called on them to "respond to the request of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression to visit Bahrain, which he made on 14 November 2014, to review violations that affect the right of Shia Muslims in expressing their religious views and beliefs."

The society called on the international community and human rights organizations to "exercise their pressure role by addressing the Bahraini authorities to stop the violations related to the confiscation and restriction of freedom of belief and freedom of opinion and expression, which are practiced against Shiite Muslims."

Arabic Version