Bahrain: Atrocities and Brutal Crackdown Continue, Rights Organisations Warn

Activists in Bahrain say that protests against the regime are on-going despite the targeting of civilians by the security forces. The Kingdom's forces are accused of arresting, and attacking civilians and the Bahrain Centre for human's rights (BCHR) say that many protesters are being hit in the chest or heads, with several cases of protesters losing their eyes being reported.

While the protests in Syria continue to grab the headlines, less is being said about the current situation in Bahrain. According to rights activists however demonstrations are on-going and so is the brutal crackdown by the regime.

According to The Bahrain Freedom Movement demonstrators took to the street Wednesday to continue protesting against the regime in the cities of Duraz, Samaheej, Daih, Karbabad and Dair with slogans reportedly including "If you become more cruel we will become more determined".

While reports mention attacks on protesters by the regime's riot police others say demonstrators had been attacked by armed mercenaries, while villages are also being raided and protesters taken away.

Following months of violence protests now include demands for regime change, the liberation of jailed activists or simply protests against attacks on villages and villagers.

While the regime's forces were accused of using live ammunitions on demonstrators when the protests first started, reports suggest they have now turned to other weapons directly used against the protestors.

"Government forces use different weapons like birdshot gun, tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets in their attacks," the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights says.

BCHR reports several cases where civilians taking parts in the protests have lost their eyes and have been forced to live in hiding, fearing that their injury would then make them an even greater target of the security forces.

Among them is Mohammed Yusuf Abu-Saada, who was shot in the eye during a protest and kicked repeatedly by the security forces.

The hospital report states that "patient was involved in demonstrations where he was assaulted with bullet injury to his right eye and was beaten and kicked on the right side of face by police," BCHR reports.

According to the organisation the police now systematically targets protesters injured during the demonstrations by arresting them when they are taken to hospital.

The centre cites the case of Jaffar Salman, who had been injured on 15 March 2011 and lost both of his eyes. Salman was reportedly arrested by the police when taken to Salmaniya hospital, detained by the regime's forces and then taken to court.

During his brief trial, he was not given the right to speak, was prevented from having a lawyer or his family with him and was sentenced to two years in prison.

"His family has not visited him in months because he told them he gets tortured and humiliated before and after every visit. His family say that when they did visit him, his 4 year old twins were not allowed to have any physical contact with their father. In most recent phone call Jaffar told his wife that he is not getting treatment for his eyes and that he worries as their condition gets much worse" the organisation points out.

The recent revelations come as Charif Bassioni , an imminent Cairo-born international United Nations war crimes expert, often called "the Father of International Criminal Law", is due to publish the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI).

The commission was established by the ruler of Bahrain, King Hamad bin Isa Al Kahlifa of Bahrain, to look into the incidents that occurred in the kingdom during the period of unrest in February and March 2011.

With the recent revelations suggesting that the 'incidents' are still occurring, activists are waiting to see whether the report, expected on the 23<sup>rd of November will shed a light on the past and on-going atrocities conducted on civilians.