29 Oct 2011

In an attempt to crush pro-democracy protests the Bahraini regime has used brutal force against peaceful protesters. Government forces use different weapons like birdshot gun, tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets in their attacks. At the beginning of the crackdown even live bullets were shot by the army at protesters in the pearl square and in their villages. Although live bullets are not being used often in recent months, the use of other weapons with direct aim at protesters has lead to countless injuries and even killed protesters.

27 Oct 2011
Bahrain: halt the violence and release the prisoners

Parliament condemns the repression of citizens in Bahrain, which has led to dozens of deaths and injuries, and urges the immediate and unconditional release of all peaceful demonstrators, political activists, human rights defenders, doctors and paramedics, bloggers and journalists. It also expresses its solidarity with the families of all the victims.

The Bahraini security forces and authorities should stop violence, repression and detention of peaceful demonstrators

19 October 2011
The USA, Russia and European countries supplied large quantities of weapons to repressive governments in the Middle East and North Africa before this year’s uprisings despite having evidence of a substantial risk that they could be used to commit serious human rights violations, Amnesty International said today in a new report.

Arms Transfers To The Middle East And North Africa: Lessons For An Effective Arms Trade Treaty examines arms transfers to Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen since 2005.

14 Sep 2011

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights condemns the acts of systematic vandalism and robbery at gunpoint committed by the Bahraini security forces and army against pro-democracy protesters. Hundreds of thousands dinars in cash and valuable items have been robbed during home raids and at checkpoints. Hundreds of houses and cars have been vandalized in an attempt by Bahrain’s regime to silence protesters and suppress the pro-democracy movement.

Background

31 August 2011

A 14-year-old boy was killed during a peaceful demonstration in Bahrain’s central town of Sitra today, where dozens of demonstrators took part in anti-government protests marking the feast of ‘Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

‘Ali Jawad Ahmad al-Shaikh died from a head injury after being hit by a tear gas canister thrown by riot police, a local human rights group said.

27 August 2011

On night of 26/27 August, the security forces have heavily attacked numerous areas in Bahrain where there were protests, starting with the weekly "rally for self-determination" and we have received news of injuries:
A protester in Duraz got shot in the eye with rubber bullet
Another protester injured in the head in Sitra.

The riot police, according to many of the injuries reported in the past several weeks, are clearly targeting the head and upper body of the protesters.

August 18, 2011

Washington, D.C. – Human Rights First is urging Mayor James of Kansas City, Missouri, to request the return of the Kansas Medal of Freedom from Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in light of his regime’s continuing violent crackdown on pro-democracy activists. The King received the award in the early 1970’s, according to the Bahraini Embassy’s website.

A protester waves the Bahraini flag as anti-riot police storm Duraz village, north of the capital Manama, Bahrain, as anti-riot police move in [EPA Photo]


18 Aug 2011
Gary Thomas

Pakistan’s president, Asif Ali Zardari, made a one-day visit to the Middle East kingdom of Bahrain this week. Substantive details of his meetings with King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa were not made public. But Bahrain has been gripped by anti-government protests, part of the “Arab Spring” sweeping across the region. The Bahraini government has been soliciting help from Pakistan to put down demonstrations.

According to analysts and Bahraini human rights activists, Bahrain's government has been recruiting former soldiers and policemen from Pakistan at a steady rate to bolster the security forces.

By Nicholas Kristof

9 August 2011

I wrote recently about an old friend, Hasan al-Sahaf, a Bahraini artist who had been imprisoned –nominally for economic offenses, but in reality for standing up to the regime. My column was an appeal to King Hamad to release him, and recently Hasan was indeed released. He telephoned with the good news, and I invited him to write a post on my blog about what happened. He courageously agreed, and here’s what he wrote:

10th Aug 2011

In view of the fact that certain statements made by chairman of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (“BICI”) have been interpreted as prejudging the outcome of the Inquiry, the BICI has decided to issue the following statement on how it has worked, will continue to work, and determine the contents of its report.