Shia Rights Watch reports widespread abuses against Shia Muslims across multiple countries
Shia Rights Watch—a global pro-Shia rights organization—released its monthly report documenting widespread violations against Shia Muslim communities between early April and early May 2025. Based on field observations, local human rights activists, and independent media, the report details systematic abuses committed by both state actors and extremist groups in various countries.
In Afghanistan, Taliban authorities forcibly prevented Shia communities from holding Eid al-Fitr prayers in Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Herat, even compelling them to break their fast early. Mosques were raided, and worshippers and clerics were expelled under threat. A bomb attack targeting a Shia area in Mazar-i-Sharif killed and injured civilians, with responsibility claimed by a radical group.
In Pakistan, the Shia population of Parachinar remains under siege by militant groups while the government fails to intervene. A Shia activist received a harsh 14-year prison sentence for peaceful protests. The government also began deporting over a million Afghan refugees—mostly Shia—despite the dangers they face upon return. A convoy delivering aid to besieged areas was attacked, resulting in fatalities and kidnappings.
In Bahrain, authorities continued to suppress Shia religious practices by banning congregational Friday prayers at a major mosque in Diraz for consecutive weeks. A minor was also arrested in Sanabis without formal charges.
In Syria, grave abuses were reported, including forced disappearances, torture, executions, and the trafficking of Alawite women. Shia villages were stormed, homes looted, and residents forcibly displaced. In Homs and surrounding areas, mass killings and arrests were documented, and Shia landmarks were seized or destroyed.
In Saudi Arabia, a Shia man from Qatif was executed amid ongoing concerns about sectarian discrimination and unfair trials.
Meanwhile, in Iraq, a mass grave containing the remains of over two dozen Shia youths from the 1991 uprising was discovered near Kirkuk, reviving painful memories of Ba’ath-era atrocities.
