Bahrain security forces employ excessive use of force against funeral mourners

27 March 2017 – Bahraini security forces attacked the funeral procession of Mustafa Hamdan with tear gas and shotgun bullets, injuring those gathered. We, the undersigned organizations, condemn this excessive use of force employed by security forces over the weekend during the procession. We call on the security forces to halt their excessive use of[…]

18-year-old Mustafa Hamdan dies after security forces shooting

24 March 2017 – Mustafa Hamdan, 18, died this morning at the Salmaniya Medical Complex, two months after security forces shot him in head and rendered him comatose. We, the undersigned, consider Hamdan’s death an extrajudicial killing by the Bahraini Government. We condemn state violence employed against peaceful protesters, the denial of medical care, and[…]

Bahraini authorities sentence scholar and activist Khalil al-Halwachi to 10 years in prison

23 March 2017 – The Fifth High Criminal Court in Bahrain today sentenced scholar and activist Khalil al-Halwachi to 10 years in prison. The government arrested and charged al-Halwachi with possessing weapons in 2014; he has been in pre-trial detention since that time. In addition to weapons possession, the prosecution further charged al-Halwachi with “insulting[…]

Bahrain: Political Opposition Leader Ebrahim Sharif Charged With “Inciting Hatred”

20 March 2017 – Political opposition leader Ebrahim Sharif was today charged with “inciting hatred against the regime” and against “factions of society” under articles 165 and 172 of Bahrain’s penal code for messages he wrote on social media. Sharif was previously imprisoned from 2011 to 2015, and then again from 2015 to 2016 on[…]

Mohammad Sahwan Dies in Jau Prison, Police Attack His Funeral

17 March 2017 – Mohammad Sahwan, a victim of excessive use of force by police in 2012, died of sudden cardiac arrest yesterday in Bahrain’s Jau Prison. Mohammad Sahwan is the first political detainee to die in Jau Prison since 2011. Today, his funeral in Sanabis was attended by thousands and met by excessive use[…]