Amnesty International: Bahrain, Fears of Further Violent Crackdown on Uprising Anniversary

Amnesty International indicated that "Bahrain is on the verge of a human rights crisis, as recent weeks have seen a pattern of increased repression, characterized by violence against protesters, executions, arbitrary detentions and a crackdown on freedom of expression."
 
"Bahrain is at a tipping point. The first two months of 2017 alone saw an alarming upsurge in arbitrary and abusive force by security forces as well as the first executions since the uprising in 2011," said Lynn Maalouf, Deputy Director at Amnesty International's Beirut regional office. "The authorities must rein in the security forces, respect the rights to peaceful assembly, association and expression, and stop executions, otherwise a full blown human rights crisis risks breaking out."
 
"For six years, the Bahraini government has been claiming that it has taken meaningful steps towards reform and upholding its human rights obligations, including by prosecuting those who were responsible for the violations that took place during the 2011 uprising. But the past few weeks have seen a very concerning renewed pattern of violations, including arbitrary detention and torture, facilitated by a continuing climate of impunity", said Lynn Maalouf.
 
Moreover, the international human rights watchdog said, "Dr Ali al-Ekri and the 11 opposition activists are all prisoners of conscience who remain behind bars because of their peaceful involvement in the uprising - the Bahraini authorities must release them immediately and unconditionally".
 
Amnesty International obtained reports and photos of injuries caused by birdshot on the back, ear, foot and leg of protesters. In Sitra, a large armored vehicle was filmed driving towards protesters, appearing to fire tear gas at body height, causing injuries.
 
On 15 January 2017, three men were executed in Bahrain after nearly a seven-year hiatus and after a grossly unfair trial. In response, protests erupted in 20 villages across the country, a number of which turned violent. Tension has since continued rising, with scores of people arrested after 15 January, including Munir Mshaima, the brother of Sami Mshaima, one of the three men executed. He was arrested immediately after his brother's funeral, accused of "insulting the King" during the proceedings, Amnesty International added.
 
Amnesty International saw video footage of armed men wearing black balaclavas firing Benelli semi-automatic shotguns during clashes in Duraz on 26 January. It is unclear whether they were firing live ammunition or less-lethal riot control ammunition. Additional masked men were seen carrying drawn semi-automatic handguns, as well as one carrying an MP-7 Personal Defense Weapon.
 
Despite these claims, the Bahraini government has cracked down over the past six years on freedom of expression, by increasing arbitrary restrictions on the media, banning protests in Manama and imprisoning those who voice their opinion.
 
In 2016, for example, prominent human rights defender Nabeel Rajab was yet again imprisoned, the main opposition party Al Wefaq was dissolved and its spiritual leader, Sheikh Issa Qassem's nationality arbitrarily revoked and its Secretary General Sheikh Ali Salman given a nine-year prison sentence for peacefully stating his party's goal of pursuing power in Bahrain, to achieve the reform demands of the 2011 uprising and to hold those responsible for human rights violations to account. Amnesty also noted that the Ministry of Information issued an order suspending the online edition of Al-Wasat, an independent newspaper, before reinstating it on 19 January.