(Beirut) – Bahraini authorities blocked Shiite worshipers from attending Friday prayers at Bahrain’s largest Shiite mosque on two Fridays in June, Human Rights Watch announced today. Imam Al Sadeq Mosque, located in Al Diraz district, is the main location for Shiite Friday prayers in Bahrain.
The access restrictions come after Bahraini authorities briefly detained Sheikh Mohammad Sankhor, a prominent Shiite cleric who frequently preached at the Imam Al-Sadeq Mosque, and Saudi Arabia’s This was carried out in response to the execution of two Bahraini rebels, which sparked protests. Bahrain.A few days before his arrest, Sheikh Sankhor called Bahraini authorities plan to share information with families of people detained at Bahrain’s Jau Prison, who said they had recently heard that detainees there were being abused.
On Friday, June 23, 2023, there continued to be a large police presence in and around the Al Diraz area and around the Imam Al Sadeq Mosque, but restrictions in the neighborhood have since been eased. .
“Bahraini authorities have long discriminated against the country’s Shiite majority population,” said Nik Jafarnia, Bahrain and Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Most recently, authorities restricted Shia worshipers from attending Friday prayers. No one should be restricted from practicing their faith.”
Bahrain’s government has long discriminated against its Shiite majority population, targeting Shiite clerics and arresting and prosecuting Shiite human rights activists, including Abdulhadi al-Khawaja in 2011. In 2016, a United Nations group said experts were concerned that members of the Shiite community were being “obviously targeted on the basis of their religion.”
Human Rights Watch spoke to six people in June about the situation in Al Diraz. These include four members of the Shiite community and two Bahraini representatives who were stopped by authorities at checkpoints as they tried to enter the mosque to attend Friday prayers. civil society following the event.
On May 22, 2023, Bahraini authorities arrested Sheikh Sankhor after calling on authorities to “reassure the families of prisoners about their loved ones.” Sheikh Sankhor created comment Following recent reports of mistreatment of people detained at Jau Prison. Following the protests, authorities released Sheikh Sankhor on May 25, 2023, but he has not returned to the mosque since then, the interviewees said.
On May 29, 2023, Saudi Arabia executed two Shiite Bahrainis. Members of Bahrain’s Shia community protested the executions.
Interviewees told Human Rights Watch that Bahraini authorities have set up checkpoints in and around Al Diraz area since Friday, June 2, 2023.
Restrictions were further tightened on the following two Fridays, June 9th and 16th. Officials who spoke to Human Rights Watch said checkpoints were set up that day at all entrances to the Al-Diraz area, including Saar roundabout, Al-Diraz roundabout, and Al-Nakhir. street. Interviewees said Bahraini police, including riot police and traffic police, were present at the checkpoint.
Officials who spoke to Human Rights Watch said authorities checked the identification documents of people attempting to pass through checkpoints into the Al Diraz area. Interviewees told Human Rights Watch that police continued to allow non-Bahrainis, residents of al-Diraz, and neighboring communities to enter the area.
Imam Al Sadeq Mosque supports a large portion of Bahrain’s Shia community, most of whom live outside the Al Diraaz area. Interviewees explained that Sunni Bahrainis typically attend Friday prayers at Al Fatih Mosque in Manama, the capital of Bahrain.
“Imam Al-Sadeq Mosque is the main mosque of the Shia community.” [in Bahrain] It is the main place for Friday prayers. It is a place where the community discusses suffering, needs, concerns, social and economic issues, government issues and oppression,” said an interviewer who was prevented from entering the Al Diraz neighborhood on June 16 to participate in prayers. one of the subjects said.
Another interviewee said, “I have been going to Al Diraz to pray every week for 30 to 40 years.” On June 9, the man was on his way to pray at a mosque when he was stopped by Bahraini police at a checkpoint and turned back.
Another person, who was also trying to attend prayers but was prevented from entering the Al Diraz area on June 16, said: “Migrant workers on bicycles entered the area without question.” I saw that they were allowed in. Anyone who didn’t look like a Shiite was allowed in.”
a video A video shared on Twitter shows a foreigner riding a bicycle through a checkpoint without being stopped. video and photograph Posted On June 9 and June 16, authorities were shown blocking Shiite Bahrainis from entering the area.
The closure of the Imam Al-Sadeq Mosque on June 9 and 16 is not the first time Bahraini authorities have restricted access to the mosque. In 2016, authorities restricted access to the mosque and surrounding area following large protests after the government stripped Sheikh Isa Qassim, a prominent Shiite cleric, of his Bahraini citizenship. Closed. Interviewees told Human Rights Watch that Bahraini authorities had just recently imposed long-standing new restrictions on access to mosques in 2022, and they were particularly outraged by recent restrictions on al-Diraz and mosques. He said he was doing it.
Bahrain’s constitution protects freedom of religion and guarantees the freedom to perform religious ceremonies under Article 22. Articles 18 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Bahrain has ratified, protect freedom of religion, the individual right to freedom of religion. Freedom of assembly and expression.
“The recent decision by Bahraini authorities to prevent Shiite believers from attending Friday prayers is yet another reminder of the discrimination this community has endured for years,” Jafarnia said. “The Bahraini authorities should immediately end all forms of discrimination against the Shia community.”