UN Experts Urge Bahrain to Halt 'Persecution of Shiites'

Rasa - Bahrain is targeting its Shiite Muslim community through arrests and prosecutions of clerics, activists and entertainers, a group of United Nations-appointed independent experts said on Tuesday.

News ID: 422738

Date: 16 August 2016 - 19:42

RNA‌ - In a statement, the experts urged Bahraini authorities to halt "arbitrary arrests" based on religion and release those detained for free speech and assembly.

There have been regular clashes between members Bahrain's protesters and security forces since the island's rulers quashed a pro-democracy uprising in 2011 with military help from Saudi Arabia amongst others.

A staunch US ally and home to the US Fifth Fleet, Bahrain’s authorities have drawn international rebuke for waging their harshest crackdown in years on opposition groups and rights activists.

"The intensified wave of arrests, detentions, summons, interrogations and criminal charges brought against numerous Shiite religious clerics and singers, human rights defenders and peaceful dissidents is having a chilling effect on fundamental human rights," the UN experts said.

They cited measures including the dissolution of the main opposition al-Wefaq group, the shutting of faith-based organizations and a preaching ban for some Shiite holy men, Reuters reported.

"A wide range of charges are brought against the Shiites including 'illegal gathering', 'inciting hatred against the regime,' 'money laundering' and 'acts of terrorism' in relation to their peaceful gatherings and religious congregations and peaceful expression of their beliefs, views and dissenting opinions," the experts said.

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