The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights: Security authorities use excessive force to suppress two demonstrations against normalization with the Zionist Entity

The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR) said that the security authorities used excessive force to suppress two peaceful demonstrations against normalization with the Israeli occupation entity. The BFHR added that the first demonstration took place in Ras Rumman and the second in Sitra, on October 8, pointing out that a citizen was injured as a result of the security forces’ use of sound bombs.

The BFHR pointed out that the security forces prevented a number of citizens from performing prayers in the Ras Rumman Mosque on the pretext that they are not from the region, in addition they arrested the following citizens: Mr. Ali Muhanna, Hajj Majeed (known as Hajji Somoud), and Abdul Nabi Al-Hawaj from the Ras Rumman Mosque before the start of the demonstrations. Meanwhile, some security forces took pictures of the identities of some citizens passing through the peaceful protest area.

In a video message he posted on his Twitter account shortly after his release, Mr. Ali Muhanna said that the accusation over which he was arrested was "the intention to participate in a march," expressing his surprise and denunciation of the reason for the accusation by saying, “The strange thing in the matter is that when I was arrested, the accusation was the intention to participate in a march. For the first time in my life, I was arrested over an intention!” Despite being forced to sign a pledge not to participate in any march, Muhanna affirmed his position rejecting normalization with the Israeli entity.

It is noteworthy that, on October 1, the security authorities suppressed a peaceful demonstration in Sitra, which was also held in protest against the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Israeli occupation entity and the opening of an Israeli embassy in Bahrain. The security authorities also refused to grant the Bahraini Society Against Normalization a permit to organize a protest on October 5, 2021 in front of the society’s headquarters in the Adliya region. This occurred in light of the continuation of the (unannounced) comprehensive protest ban for years against dissidents. Note that according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association of the 20th session of the Human Rights Council, the exercise of fundamental freedoms should not be subject to previous authorization, nor should prior notification be ideally required. 
The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights

October 9, 2021