Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Barriers and barbed wires are spread everywhere in Diraz. Dozens of soldiers and checkpoints stop all pedestrians. No one is allowed to pass without permission from the security forces. Queues of cars wait at the checkpoints; they have to wait for long periods of time before being allowed to pass.

Young students carrying their heavy bags pass by the armored vehicles after they became tired of waiting for their buses. They cross main roads and expose themselves to risks just in order to arrive to their schools on time.

This takes place in Diraz only because the oppressive authorities decided to besiege the village. First graders (6 year-olds) walk hundreds of meters under the hot sun of September (over 40 degrees celsius). Some even rest in the shade before they continue their walk to school.

Many on Twitter talked about these sufferings, while others posted photos of students passing between the armored vehicles. Similar scenes are only witnessed in Palestine.

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— iProtestor | Bahrain (@iProtestor) September 18, 2016

Finally, the students reach their schools. They take their seats exhausted. The scholastic day in Diraz is totally different from that in other Bahraini villages. Students in Diraz are exhausted and frightened; they only think about the army and talk about the siege.

In the time between the class periods, the young students talk about summons, arrests and how they wait at the checkpoints at night with their families, not to mention the unpleasant way they are treated. Can students discuss education in such an atmosphere?

Many people have spoken out in the past couple of days to end the siege that has been imposed since 3 months ago; however, their calls fell on deaf ears. Maybe some officials heard them, but these people mean nothing to government officials. These people are deprived of their most basic rights, only because they are from Diraz, the hometown of the highest religious Shiite authority in Bahrain Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim.

Arabic Version