Bahrain Security Forces Denied Responsibility for Death

On Friday, Bahraini police forces denied the opposition claims that they were responsible for the death of  a protester.  Mohammed Ibrahim Yacoub was one of four anti-government protesters who died on Thursday reported by the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. Yacoub was arrested on Wednesday  for what police called participating in “acts of violence and vandalism.”

On Thursday, the NGO Amnesty International criticized, in a press released, the increasing use of tear gas by the security forces against protesters. The NGO stated that tear gas “used inappropriately, including in enclosed areas or on unarmed protesters who are simply exercising their freedoms of expression and assembly, deploying tear gas can constitute a human rights violation.” Eyewitnesses have told Amnesty International representatives that security forces “intentionally fired” tear gas canisters were intentionally fired into private homes. This week alone, 4 deaths have been attributed to security forces.

The pro-democratic protest led by the 14th of February Youth Coalition had thus far encouraged peaceful demonstrations. However, on Wednesday, the February 14 Youth Coalition criticized the international community for remaining “largely silent,”  and they warned that they “hold the international community fully responsible for any dangerous escalation that might happen in the future.” The 14 Youth Coalition stressed that “people have had enough and it is time for us to assert to our right for self-defense.” Shia Cleric Ayatollah Isa Qassim who has traditionally called for peaceful protests, has changed his rhetoric saying that police who attacked women could be attacked in return (see above video in Arabic). Specialist in Middle East and Gulf affairs at the German Institute, Guido Steinberg, warned of the risk of radicalization among the Shia youth.