Bahrain Mirror: The Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society launched on Saturday, December 9, 2023, its annual report on human rights violations in Bahrain for the year 2022, entitled "Seasons of Repression", in which it monitored more than 1,700 raids, 100 arrests, and more than 950 protests.

The report monitored several summonses to clerics and eulogy reciters during the commemoration of the anniversary of the Ashura of Imam Al-Hussein, peace be upon him, and the restriction on a large number of travelers to the holy places in Iraq and Iran, in addition to preventing religious campaigns from outside Bahrain from entering the country to take part in commemorating the occasion for political reasons.

The report stated that prisoners of conscience in Jaw Central Prison were not spared of the restrictions on their religious freedom; by denying them the commemoration of Ashura, which prompted them to protest several times. The report also monitored "violations against the occasion by removing Ashura banners and slogans in several areas, and summoning many citizens over participating in Ashura ceremonies."

The report recorded 51 targeting of religious events in various regions of Bahrain by the security services, ranging from confiscation of property and vandalism of religious events, in addition to other provocative measures.

As for the collective targeting of religious freedoms in prisons, the report confirmed that they reached 4 cases in "Jaw" prison, while numerous complaints were recorded in the "Dry Dock" prison. Besides, two collective protests were held in "Jaw" prison against the restrictions on religious freedoms. 

Raids and Security Services Abuses 

According to the "Al-Wefaq" human rights report, the year 2022 witnessed 1,719 raids by security forces in 78 areas, the overwhelming majority of which were carried out in the governorate of the capital, Manama, amounting to 1,245, specifically in Sanabis, Al-Daih, Jidhafs and Sitra Island. The raids included 44 storming on homes and private facilities in 19 areas. 

February 2023 witnessed "the highest number of raids, with 200 raids recorded, while the number of raids in December was lower, only 14," according to the report.

The raids on villages included 87 violations by the security services in 33 areas, including: restricting freedom of movement by setting up checkpoints and blocking streets, confiscating property and suppressing peaceful marches, provoking participants in the commemoration of religious events such as monitoring them, photographing them, and other violations.

Arbitrary Arrests

The report documented 100 arrests, including 13 arrests of children, and two arrests of Ms. Fadila Abdulrasoul, who was arrested once in February and again in June.

February recorded the highest number of arrests, 28, coinciding with the anniversary of the February 14 uprising, followed by June, with 13 arrests, then October 12 arrests. However, at least dozens of arrests were recorded in the rest of the months, while no month was free of arbitrary arrests.

Most of the arrests were carried out in the capital and northern governorates, and during 2022, the majority of arrests was recorded in both of the governorates, which reached 93% of the total number of cases, noting that 3% of the arrests were carried out in unspecified areas.

Summonses

Al-Wefaq's report monitored 105 summons for 45 citizens, as the same people were repeatedly summoned several times, and the summons were as follows: 83 summons for 34 men, most notably the educational activist Mr. Ali Mhanna, who was summoned 18 times, the activist Haj Abdulmajeed Abdullah Mohsen, known as "Haj Somoud", who was summoned 15 times, as well as Mounir Mushaima, brother of martyr Sami Mushaima, who was summoned 12 times.

The report recorded 6 summonses for 4 women and 16 summonses for 8 children.

Enforced Disappearance

Five prisoners of conscience were subjected to enforced disappearance and the number of days for each of them ranged from 4 to 14 days, noting that the total number of enforced disappearances monitored by the report from November 2017 until the end of 2022 amounted to 441 cases, including 54 children. 

Judicial Rulings

76 verdicts were issued against convicts, including 16 verdicts against children, and two against Mrs. Fadila Abdulrasoul. The total number of prison terms issued was 208 years and 5 months in prison, and the total fines amounted to 902,300 dinars. 

Violations in Prisons

With regard to individual violations in prisons, Al-Wefaq monitored 372 violations, 24 of which against religious freedoms, including 41 cases of torture, 245 cases of ill-treatment, 84 cases of denial of treatment, and two cases of deprivation of education. 

As for collective violations in prisons, the report identified 54 violations, 14 of which against religious freedoms.

Protests in Prisons 

The number of individual protests in prisons reached 53 protests, distributed among cases of hunger strike, stopping calls and receiving visits, refraining from going out to the yard, raising banners, chanting slogans and knocking on the doors of cells. The report also monitored 31 collective protests in prisons.

Protests and Sit-ins

In 2022, a total of 954 peaceful protests, events and activities were held. 

At the end of its report, Al-Wefaq called on the Bahraini authorities to "immediately initiate serious implementation of the Independent Commission of Inquiry (Bassiouni Commission) recommendations, lift the ban on the right to peaceful assembly, and stop adapting local laws to restrict the right to expression of opinion."

The society called on the Bahraini authorities to "stop extrajudicial killings and ensure the provision of fair trials," and stressed "Bahrain's need for international monitoring of the performance of the apparatuses established by the authority after the committee's report."

It called on the government of Bahrain to "ratify a number of international treaties to which it is not a party, abolish death penalty, and other recommendations that protect human rights in the country."

Arabic Version