Bahrain: Recurring Patterns of Ashura Violations

Every year in Bahrain, Ashura is marred by government violations that arbitrarily target public displays of commemoration. These violations also affect organizers and participants of these events, especially religious figures, in a blatant violation of religious freedom and the right to practice religious rituals, which are guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Independent Bahraini human rights organizations consistently document arbitrary arrests and summonses targeting dozens of citizens who participate in Ashura commemorations, as well as the removal of Ashura-related displays and restrictions imposed by state authorities on holding certain events.

In 2025 (1447 AH), the Ashura season witnessed a clear escalation in state repression and censorship. This year, the removal of Ashura displays began four days before the occasion, on 23 June 2025. On 25 June, the first serious escalation occurred in the Al-Duraz area, where security forces attacked Ashura displays that had been set up by residents in preparation for the occasion. Authorities removed Ashura banners and destroyed an artistic model representing a sacred shrine associated with the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), which had been built specifically for the event by local artists. In response, residents held a peaceful march protesting the assault on Ashura symbols. The march was met with excessive use of force from police, including beatings with batons, resulting in one protester suffering a skull fracture.

Summonses and arrests by security forces followed soon after. The first documented arrest occurred on 26 June, based on a summons related to the individual’s participation in the protest. Violations continued to escalate throughout Ashura, with more than thirty citizens summoned or arrested, including religious scholars, eulogy reciters, heads of ma’atim (mourning houses/halls), and mosque administrators, due to speeches delivered during Ashura ceremonies or the content of religious chants. Authorities also arrested individuals for wearing headbands with solidarity slogans, t-shirts featuring images of victims, or symbols of religious figures during Ashura events.

Security forces continued their assault on Ashura displays in several areas. They not only removed banners from public streets and spaces but also forced the residents to remove Ashura symbols from their homes and private properties. The Ministry of Interior additionally ordered the cancellation of two Ashura events, one a theatrical reenactment of the Karbala incident, and the other a series of mourning and self-flagellation ceremonies.

This report presents detailed documentation of these violations, recorded by SALAM DHR and the BFHR, including names and dates. Its purpose is to shed light on the deteriorating state of religious freedoms in Bahrain under official authority, and to support continued efforts toward ending these violations once and for all.

The recurring, seasonal nature of these violations reflects an entrenched pattern of sectarian persecution, expressed by official agencies through repeated and newly devised forms of attacks on religious freedom, all under policies that protect perpetrators from accountability and legal prosecution, enabling a culture of impunity.

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