Human rights organization criticizes the Bahraini government’s violations of Shia rights

Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) drew the attention of the Human Rights Council to the violations practiced in Bahrain with regard to freedom of religion and the prohibition of Shias from practicing their religious rites.
In its intervention, the organization pointed to Bahrain’s violations of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action with regard to freedom of religion, and the state’s commitment to providing the right to freedom of thought, conscience, expression and religion, in accordance with the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action Act and human rights laws, all individuals must be able to profess and practice their religion, however, the government of Bahrain discriminated against Shia citizens, who make up to 70% of Bahrain’s population.
ADHRB added that the Bahraini authorities prevent the majority of its population from freely practicing their religious rites, destroying mosques and places of worship, imprisoning Shia clerics, and preventing the commemoration of religious rituals.
The organization continued, “During the religious commemoration of Ashura, the Ministry of Interior summoned by direct order of the current minister, Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, and detained many Shia religious scholars and citizens because they practiced their religious rituals, and more than that, during July and August, the government used the pandemic to impose more restrictions on the Shia commemoration of Ashura.”