All protests have been suppressed violently; police have used tear gas, stun grenades and birdshots which caused lots of serious injuries. BCHR has received information of protesters who were injured in different parts of the body including in the head. Since the hospitals for over a year now are under military control, protesters are unable to receive proper treatment at hospital as they fear arrest if they seek hospital care for their injuries as hospitals have been ordered to report any injury related to protest to the police. Instead they have to make do with home-based treatment.
Left: Shotgun injury to the head. Last night, Duraz, Right: Shotgun injury in the leg, treated at home to avoid arrest
(More photos of some of the injuries recorded last night can be found below)
Police have continued to throw excessive amount of tear gas on residential areas even after dispersing of protests. Reports show that they continue to target houses directly with the tear gas. In addition, the helicopter of the ministry of interior has been seen throwing the tear gas canister on residential areas from the air (see video: http://youtu.be/quWBDN5cHvM ).
Right: Tear gas, Dair
Moreover, more than 35 protesters have been arrested either from the streets or after raiding their houses without any arrest warrant; some were released after being severely beaten. There are several reports of violence against women as well as objects being stolen during these house-raids.
Left: This man was beaten inside his home by riot police during a house-raid, Right: This man was severely beaten by riot police last night in Bilad Alqadeem
According to an eye-witness, those arrested from Bani Jamrah were taken to the stable, which is known to be the location of an unofficial torture centre. The families of the people who were arrested yesterday say that their detained relatives have obvious beating-marks. They have now been moved to the Fort Prison, which has a hospital.
Families that gathered at Samaheej and Bani Jamrah police stations to demand release of their sons were attacked by security forces and forced to leave. There are continuous reports on protesters being arrested, beaten, had their phones stolen and then released.
The process of documenting the arrest of last night is still on-going, but the BCHR estimates the number to be between 30-40. The known detainees from last night are listed at the end of this report.
In addition, the head of Women’s Affairs at the AlWefaq political society, Ahlam Alkhuzaei was arrested last night at the Bahrain airport on her way to an Amnesty conference in Tunisia. She was released earlier this morning.
DPA/EPA photojournalist Mazin Mahdi, who previously has been stopped during protests, was assaulted by a motorist while he was covering the protest staged by Zainab AlKhawaja on Alqadam roundabout. The security forces were watching but ignoring the on-going assault. While the motorist was left to leave the scene without taking any action against him, Mazen’s work ID-card was confiscated and he was told to pick it up from the police station.
Bahrain center for human rights strongly condemn the government’s fierce crackdown on whoever exercises freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and the attack on journalists and activists for exposing the crimes committed in Bahrain by the authorities. We immediately demand the release of all detained activists and protesters, putting an end for the use of violence against peaceful protesters and allowing Bahrainis their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Photos
Injuries
Left: Protester injured in chest and arm with shotgun. Last night, Bani Jamrah. Right: Shotgun injury to the back. Last night. Duraz
Left: Protester injured in his arm and side by shotgun last night, Sanabis. Right: Shotgun injury, eyes and parts of the chest, gunshot pellets, Duraz
Left: Injuries from bird shot pellets. Al Dair. Right: Injury, Dair.
House Raids and arrests
Riot police destroy doors during house raid in Bani Jamrah
Bahraini policemen arrest protestors during an anti-government demonstration in the village of Bani Jamrah, West of Manama, on August 2, 2012 (AFP Photo / Mohammed Al-Shaikh)
Tear Gas
It is not clouds, these are toxic gas clouds. Bani Jamrah
Tear gas attack on Bani Jamrah
