More Violence Against Bahrain Police as Political Unrest Rises

Washington D.C. – Human Rights First described today’s reports that another policeman has been killed in Bahrain as awful and horribly disturbing news. This evening’s state media reports follow last month’s news of two policemen being killed in another explosion.

“This violence against the police is wrong and should immediately stop. Protestors won’t achieve democracy through these attacks. This is terrible news not just for the relatives and friends of the policeman but for anyone who wants to see a stable, peaceful Bahrain,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley. “The government has reacted to calls for reform by jailing virtually all of the country’s opposition leaders, attacking free speech and torturing dissidents. That just fuels exactly the instability and political unrest the authorities say they want to avoid. It’s increasingly clear that the regime’s repressive policies aren’t bringing Bahrain the peace and security it desperately needs. The U.S. government should take action to help Bahrain to find a way out of its political crisis before the violence escalates further, before more policemen are killed.”

Today’s death brings the number of security officers killed in the country since large scale democracy protests broke out in Bahrain in 2011 to 19.

“In the coming hours we can sadly expect to see a roundup of those the government claims are suspects, but the security forces’ reputation for lying and fabrication means there is virtually no chance of a fair trial or due legal process for those arrested. That, in turn, will likely further polarize the country and lead to greater unrest,” added Dooley.

For more information or to speak with Dooley contact Mary Elizabeth Margolis at [email protected] or 212-845-5269.