Bahrain Mirror: Three human rights organizations said that Bahrain did not stop discriminating against religious freedoms against Shiite citizens and continued to persecute them.

Bahrain Forum for Human Rights, Salam for Democracy and Human Rights and Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights said the new Prime Minister has not introduced until now reforms on religious discrimination against these citizens.

They indicated that the security apparatus continue to suppress religious freedoms through arrests, imposing fines, and forcing citizens to limit religious practices. Moreover, security services continue to raid and disperse mourners with excessive force. Meanwhile, state-controlled media is used to misdirect the truth.

According to the report, 3 citizens were arbitrarily arrested during the Ashura season after being summoned to police stations for investigation.they were all released later.

The number of summons reached 18 cases, including religious scholars and eulogy reciters, who were investigated over charges related to commemorating Ashura rituals, said the report.

The organizations stressed that through documentation, the investigation hearings were not based on a crime or complaints, but were based on allegations of harassment and intimidation, in order to limit religious freedom.

The number of violations by the security services during the Ashura season reached 42 cases.

The organizations said that harassment reached detainees in Bahraini prisons. Independent human rights organizations indicated that Jaw Prison administration prevented detainees from practicing religious rituals during Ashura season.

The report also monitored that Bahraini pro-government newspapers didn't cover events impartially and did not mention repression, and published articles praising government measures.

The organizations called on the government to stop targeting and sectarian discrimination, not to restrict the practice of religious and husseini rituals of Shiite citizens, to stop restricting prisoners in their religious practices and to improve the prison environment. 

They also called on the government not to interfere in the affairs of funerals and husseiniyas, ensuring freedom of religious practice within the framework of public order.

Arabic Version