The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses its concern for the continued practice of collective punishment in the residential areas by the members of the security apparatuses while suppressing the protests staged in the villages and towns of Bahrain demanding freedom, democracy and the right to self-determination which has been taking place for the last three years. Information was received by the BCHR regarding the youth Ahmed Ali Faraj (19 years) that he suffered a pellet bullet (shotgun); the shot caused him a severe injury in his neck and shoulder forcing his transfer to the Intensive Care Unit at Salmaniya Medical Complex.
The family of the young Ahmed stated to the BCHR that on Friday morning 21 March 2014, their son was shot with a direct shotgun bullet while he was jogging in one of the streets of Samaheej village, close to Bahrain International Airport. According to the family’s statement, Ahmed’s injury had been described as critical as the splinters settled in the face, neck and right shoulder in addition to the chest and hands, which required transferring him to Intensive Care while he was unconscious. An eyewitness – who took him to the hospital – stated that he found Ahmed unconscious in one of the side streets and when he approached him he found that he was covered in blood and unable to breathe which urged him take him to the hospital.
Ahmed’s family had been prevented from visiting their son and even from seeing him from far, and they were threatened with calling the women police for them in case they demanded visiting their son or seeing him, although there was no warrant for his arrest or detention until that moment. His situation remained unknown until Monday 24 March 2014 when the family attempted to visit him in the hospital; they were then required by the police to head to the Public Prosecution to get a visit permit. They deplored this procedure which was taken without questioning Ahmed or asking him about the manner in which he was injured. The family was surprised that Ahmed was taken to the Fort’s hospital and was kept in detention for 45 days without a specific charge.
This is not the first time that members of security apparatuses practice random and excessive suppression amid the residential areas which causes the fall of many victims.Among those victims is the child Ahmed Mansoor Al-Naham (6 years) who was helping his father in a stall for selling fish in the village of Al-Der in Bahrain when they were subjected to an attack and fired at by the Riot Police. The father tried to save his son by protecting him with his body, however according to some of the BCHR members, who documented the case and met the witnesses, Ahmed and his father faced premeditated murder by firing twice at them with a rifle at close range[1]. Ahmed was injured with shotgun splinters in various areas of his body, including his eye, and he suffered blood loss. He was then taken to the Intensive Care Unit at Salmaniya Hospital. On Thursday 14 June 2012, he was taken to Bahrain Defence Force Hospital before being transferred again to a hospital in Saudi Arabia. The doctors’ attempts to save Ahmed’s eye failed.
At an early age, 5 years old, Ahmed permanently lost sight in one of his eyes; the Ministry of Interior admitted the incident however it considered it to be accidental and it blamed the demonstrators who were protesting demanding democracy[2].
On 14 February 2013, the members of the security apparatuses killed the child Hussein Ali Al-Jazeeri[3] (16 years) while he was practicing his legitimate right to peaceful protest in the area of Daih – near the Pearl Roundabout – when they directly fired at him which hit him in his stomach and caused his death. The video broadcasted by activists on social media networks attests that Al-Jazeeri did not pose any danger that required dealing with him with such excessive force. This proves that the members of the security apparatuses seek to kill protestors and deprive them of their life because they demonstrate against the regime’s policy.
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls on the United States, United Kingdom, United Nations and all its allies and other international institutes to lay pressure on the government of Bahrain in order to:
- stop using excessive force in response to the frequent peaceful protests;
- stop supplying the government of Bahrain with arms which are used to killing peaceful protestors;
- hold accountable the violators, whether they execute or order, and not excluding the ones in higher ranks;
- reimburse the victims with a compensation that meets the extent of violation they were subjected to.
