Cairo August 15, 2012

ANHRI condemns the use of excessive force and violence in dispersing a peaceful demonstration in some of the Bahraini regions specifically Bani Jumara, which led to injuries and arrests.
On Monday August 13, 2012 witnessed demonstrations in some villages in Bahrain and continued to the morning of August 14.
“The collation of February 14”, the opposition to the government to celebrate the the Bahraini independence day. The march called “Freedom day”, to call for political and social reforms as well as consolidating with a number of the detainees in the Bahraini prisons.
Bharain announced its independence officially from the British mandate in August 14, 1971. Bahrain avoids any events or celebrations during this day.
The security forces faced these demonstration by force through using of the tear gas bomb and the shotgun, which is internationally banned.
It led to several injuries among the protesters as well as the arrest of 11 protesters due to their participation in a peaceful demonstration. Since February 2011, Bahrain witness, almost daily, clashes between the opposition and the security forces that suppress these demonstrations permanently. It also a huge number of the protesters without charges but to express their opinion, call for democracy and political and social reforms that is being promised by the King of Bahrain and non- were implemented.
Bahrain witnessed a number of court hearings yesterday among the significant verdicts are the continuation of the cinfinment of Zineb El-Khawaja to August 18, 2012, the postponement of the “figures” case, in which El Khawja is accused, to September 28, 2012 and the reduction of the verdicts issued against “El-Meqdad” from 96 years to 15 years, after adding 4 cases he was held to court because of it. Previous verdicts issued from the National Safety Court to imprison him of 96 years. Which proves the politicizing the verdicts of the said court and use it as a tool to silence tool the opposition in addition to several the support of verdicts of prisoning number of persons and releases others.
ANHRI said that “Bahraini authorities must protect the peaceful demonstrators and do not assault or arrest them. Bahrain must achieve the freedom and democracy demands of the people instead of using force and suppress against the demonstrators which proved its failure a day after a day and make the demonstrators stick to their demands”.
ANHRI calls the Baharini authorities to immediately release the political detainees in the prisons and give the people their right of peaceful demonstrations and the freedom of the opinion without plotting against them.