Bahrain Mirror: Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain described the Bahraini regime crack down on mass demonstrations in several Bahraini areas that were staged on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, to protest the massacre of the Israeli occupation in the "Baptist" hospital and the ongoing aggression against Gaza Strip as "Dangerous".

ADHRB said in a statement on Thursday, October 19, 2023, that "despite footages that showed large crowds and documented the peacefulness of the participants, Bahraini security forces suppressed them with force, pointing weapons at unarmed demonstrators, using tear gas and water hoses." The organization noted that "these scenes brought back memories of the repression of the pro-democracy movement in 2011."

It highlighted that "the scenes showed and documented the peaceful participants in the demonstrations that took place in several areas, demanding an end to the aggression on Gaza," adding that "protesters chanted slogans condemning normalization and demanding the cancellation of the normalization agreement, the closure of the Israeli embassy and the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador from Manama, which the Bahraini authorities refuse to respond to."

"Arab, Islamic and international capitals witnessed dozens of angry demonstrations condemning the massacre, including Jordan, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt, however, the Bahraini authorities confronted their citizens by force of arms, launched a campaign of widespread summons and arrested a number of citizens," ADHRB further stated, noting that this "is a new infringement on freedoms".  

The organization expressed its deep fears and concern that "demonstrators are subjected to summonses, arrests, enforced disappearances, unfair trials, and fabricated charges against them, in a repeat of the scenario of arrests in 2011."

Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain called on the government of Bahrain to "abide by the international covenants and treaties it has signed on guaranteeing freedom of opinion, expression and peaceful assembly."

Arabic Version