Bahrain’s Al Khalifah regime perpetrated 2,165 human rights violations in 2017: Rights group

An independent human rights group says it documented 2,165 cases of grave human rights violations in Bahrain last year as the ruling Al Khalifah regime relentlessly continues with its crackdown on human rights activists and pro-democracy campaigners in the kingdom.

Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR), in an annual report released on Thursday, announced that regime forces arrested 1,694 people throughout the past year, of whom 644 were rounded up during raids on residential buildings across the kingdom.

The report further noted that the increase in the number of arrests come despite the fact that all international and domestic rights organizations have condemned such a campaign, and called on Bahraini authorities to stop arbitrary arrests on political grounds.

Moreover, Bahraini regime forces stormed homes on 1,049 occasions last year in pursuit of political dissidents.

A total of 107 people suffered injuries as a result of excessive use of force by police officers as well. Regime forces also suppressed 1,414 pro-democracy protests.

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The BFHR highlighted that the numbers do not include other violations such as forced disappearances, torture and arbitrary sentences, which have occurred only after Bahrainis exercised their rights to the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

The rights group went on to say that the Manama regime continues to tighten its grip on opposition figures, and prosecutes political activists, human rights advocates, journalists and photographers.

The BFHR argued that the ruling Al Khalifah dynasty is making use of law, especially regulations introduced to protect society against terrorist acts, in order to punish protesters through unfair proceedings and prosecutions.

‘Bahrain strips some 750 activists of citizenship’

Separately, a non-governmental rights group says Bahraini officials have revoked the citizenship of 749 people since 2012 after convicting them of trumped-up terror charges.

The Salam for Democracy and Human Rights said Manama regime stripped 156 people in 2017, 90 others in 2016, 208 in 2015, twenty-one in 2014 and 31 in 2012 of their nationality.

Bahraini officials have revoked the citizenship of 243 people so far this year.

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Three female Bahraini dissidents have gone on an open-ended hunger strike in protest at their ill-treatment at prison.

Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country in mid-February 2011.

They are demanding that the Al Khalifah regime relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.

Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.

Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifah regime’s crackdown.

On March 5, 2017, Bahrain’s parliament approved the trial of civilians at military tribunals in a measure blasted by human rights campaigners as being tantamount to imposition of an undeclared martial law countrywide.

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah ratified the constitutional amendment on April 3 last year.

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