2011–2012 Bahraini uprising

2011–2012 Bahraini uprising
Part of the Arab Spring
Men standing with a flag that says "PEACE" in Arabic and English.
Date 14 February 2011 – ongoing Location  Bahrain Status Ongoing Causes Corruption Discrimination against Shias Unemployment Slow pace of democratization[1][2] Inspiration from concurrent regional protests Goals Resignation of King Hamad[3] Constitutional monarchy Deportation of foreign mercenaries[4] Rewrite the Constitution Ending economic and human rights violations,[1] Equality for Shias Fair elections Freedom[5] Characteristics Civil resistance Nonviolent revolutions Demonstrations Concessions given Establishment of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and the National Dialogue 1000 Bahraini dinar (approx. US$2,600) per family[6] Increased social spending[7] Head of the National Security Apparatus removed from post and appointed as King's personal adviser.[8] Formed a committee to apply BICI report recommendations, which opposition parties refused to join due to being non-balanced.
Lead figures
Bahraini Opposition: February 14 Youth Coalition Al Wefaq National Islamic Society Islamic Action Society National Democratic Action Society Nationalist Democratic Rally Society Progressive Democratic Tribune Al-Ekha National Society Haq Movement Al Wafa Islamic Party Bahrain Freedom Movement Khalas Movement	Bahraini Government: King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa[3] PM Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa CP Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa Special Security Force Command National Security Agency Bahrain Defence Force Al Fateh national union gathering  Gulf Cooperation Council Peninsula Shield Force
Number
50,000-80,000 protesters	9,000-15,000
Casualties
Deaths 51[9][10][11] Wounded 1000+[12][13] Arrested 2,929+[14] Layoffs ~2012[15]

History of Bahrain
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Ancient Bahrain
Dilmun
Tylos and Mishmahig
Awal
Historical region
Islam in Bahrain
Al-Ala'a Al-Hadrami
Qarmatians
Usfurid dynasty
Jarwanid dynasty
Jabrid dynasty
Portuguese occupation
Muqrin ibn Zamil
Antonio Correia
Safavid hegemony (1602-1717)
1717 Omani invasion of Bahrain
Al Khalifa and the British Protectorate
1783 Bani Utbah invasion of Bahrain
Perpetual Truce of Peace and Friendship (1861)
First Oil Well (1932)
20th Century Bahrain
National Union Committee
March 1965 Intifada
State Security Law era
1981 coup d'état attempt
1990s Uprising
2011 Uprising
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The 2011–2012 Bahraini uprising, sometimes called the February 14 Revolution (Arabic: ثورة 14 فبراير ‎) is a series of demonstrations, amounting to a sustained campaign of civil resistance, in the Persian Gulf country of Bahrain. As part of the revolutionary wave of protests in the Middle East and North Africa following the self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi in Tunisia, the Bahraini protests were initially aimed at achieving greater political freedom and equality for the majority Shia population,^[16][17] and expanded to a call to end the monarchy of King Hamad^[3] following a deadly night raid on 17 February against protesters at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama.^[18][19]

Protesters in Manama camped out for days at the Pearl Roundabout, which functioned as the centre point of protests there. After a month, the government requested troops and police from the Gulf Cooperation Council, which arrived on 14 March, and a day later, the king of Bahrain declared martial law and a three-month state of emergency.^[20][21]

The police response has been described as a "brutal" crackdown on peaceful and unarmed protestors, including doctors and bloggers.^[22][23][24] The police carried out midnight house raids in Shia neighbourhoods, beatings at checkpoints, and denial of medical care in a campaign of intimidation.^{[25][26][27][28]} More than 2,929 people have been arrested,^[14][29] and at least four people have been returned dead after being detained in custody.^[30]

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry was established on 29 June 2011 by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to assess the incidents that occurred in the Kingdom during the period of unrest in February and March 2011 and the consequences of these events.^[31] The report was released on 23 November and confirmed the Bahraini government's use of torture and other forms of physical and psychological abuse on detainees.^[32] It has been criticized for not disclosing the names of individual perpetrators of abuses and extending accountability only to those who actively carried out human rights violations.^[33]

Contents 1 Background 2 Overview 3 Timeline 3.1 International military operations 4 Censorship and repression 4.1 Expulsions 4.2 Incarcerations 4.3 Torture claims 5 Casualties 5.1 Injuries 5.2 Deaths 6 Domestic responses 6.1 Executive 6.2 Legislative 7 International reactions 8 See also 9 References 10 Coverage by human rights organizations 11 Further reading 12 External links

Background

Bahrain's Shia majority has often complained of receiving poor treatment in employment, housing, and infrastructure, while Sunnis have preferential status.^[34] The Bahraini government has reportedly imported Sunnis from Pakistan and Syria in an attempt to increase the Sunni percentage. ^[34][35] Shiite Muslims are blocked from serving in important political and military posts.^[35] Bahrain does have the National Assembly of Bahrain, a popularly elected parliament, but it is not powerful.^[35] Occasional protests have flared up since the reign of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa,^[35] and, as of 18 February 2011, twenty-five Shiite activists were on trial for subverting state power.^[35]

Bahrain hosts the United States Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the home of the US Fifth Fleet, and is thus crucial to US Department of Defense attempts to counter Iranian military power in the region.^[35] The Saudi Arabian government and other Gulf region governments strongly support the King of Bahrain.^[35][36] The influence of Iran, a majority-Shiite nation, is disputed. Some, including those in regional intelligence circles, believe it to exert significant influence on the protestors.^[37] Iran has historically claimed Bahrain as a province.^[38][39] Bahrain has been described as a geopolitical battlefield where the interests of Saudi Arabia and Iran converge.^[40]

Bahrain was ranked 13th in the Economist Intelligence Unit Shoe-Thrower's index,^[41] which is an attempt to gauge "unrest" in Arab world countries. Bahrain is ranked 10 in the Heritage Foundation’s 2011 Index of Economic Freedom and is ranked 28 in the World Bank’s 2011 Ease of Doing Business Index.^[42][43]

An election to the parliament in 2010 was followed by controversy as well. However, the Shia-majority Al Wefaq National Islamic Society won a plurality.^[44]

Overview

The date 14 February 2011 was chosen because it was the tenth anniversary of a referendum in favour of the National Action Charter of Bahrain.^[45] Bahraini youths described their plans as an appeal for Bahrainis "to take to the streets on Monday 14 February in a peaceful and orderly manner" in order to rewrite the constitution and to establish a body with a "full popular mandate to investigate and hold to account economic, political and social violations, including stolen public wealth, political naturalisation, arrests, torture and other oppressive security measures, [and] institutional and economic corruption."^[1] They referred to the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt as motivations for their appeal. The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights described authorities' preparations for the 14 February planned demonstrations as "a state of confusion, apprehension and anticipation".^[46] On 11 February, King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa ordered that 1,000 Bahraini dinars (approximately US$2,667) be given to "each family" to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the National Action Charter referendum.^[6] Agence France-Presse linked the BD1,000 payments to the 14 February demonstration plans.^[6]

On 12 February, the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights sent an open letter to the king, seeking to avoid a worst-case scenario by "releasing more than 450 detainees including [Bahraini] human rights defenders, religious figures and more than 110 children, dissolv[ing] the security apparatus and [prosecuting] its official[s] responsible [for] violations and to start serious dialogue with civil society and opposition groups on disputed issues."^[47][48] BCHR President Nabeel Rajab stated: "The dissolving of the security apparatus and the prosecution of its officials will not only distance the King from the crimes committed by this apparatus especially since 2005, such as systemic torture and the use of excessive force against peaceful protests, but will avoid the fatal mistake committed by similar apparatuses in Tunisia and Egypt [revolutions] which led to the loss of lives and hundreds of casualties and eventually resulted in the fall of the regimes who created these 'double edged swords'".^[47]

Following the raid against the Pearl Roundabout on 17 February, some protesters started calling for an end to the monarchy.^[3]

Following the clearance of the Pearl Roundabout, the government made an unconditional offer of political dialogue and security forces were withdrawn from the streets.^[49] Talks lead by the Crown Prince were ruined by opposition radicals, who erected road blocks manned by armed vigilantes.^[49]

According to the BBC News on 14 March, most of the opposition protesters had said they did not want to overthrow the monarchy but want the ruling family to give up most of its powers to the elected parliament. Some, however, had said they wanted a republic. Though the King has offered dialogue with the protesters, some of them had refused saying they wanted the government to step down.^[50]

The Shia citizens also demand an end to the mass naturalisation of Sunni foreigners, primarily from Pakistan, which is seen as an attempt to shift the demographics in the population. The protestors claim that around half the security forces in the army and police force consist of immigrants from Pakistan, Jordan and Yemen.^[51][52]

Journalists who attempted to report human rights abuses were arrested or claimed to have received anonymous death threats.^[22]

Timeline

Protests began on 14 February 2011, but met immediate resistance from security forces in Manama and Shia villages. Fourteen protesters were reportedly injured and one was killed as Bahraini government forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to break up demonstrations, but protests continued into the evening, drawing several hundred participants. Most of the protesters were Shia Muslims, who make up the majority of Bahrain's population.^[17][53] The next day, one person attending the funeral of the protester killed on 14 February was shot dead and 25 more were hurt when security officers opened fire on mourners.^[54][55] The Al Wefaq National Islamic Society quickly declared its solidarity with protesters^[56] and announced it would not participate in the National Assembly any longer.^[55] The same day, thousands of protesters stormed the Pearl Roundabout in downtown Manama and occupied the area, setting up protest tents and camping out overnight.^[57][58] In the early morning of 17 February, security forces retook control of the roundabout, leaving five dead, 231 injured, and 70 missing.^{[18][19][59][60]} Manama was subsequently placed under lockdown, with tanks and armed soldiers taking up positions around the capital city.^[18][61] Troops withdrew from the Pearl Roundabout on 19 February, and protesters reestablished their camps there.^[62][63] On 22 February, a mass rally dubbed the Martyrs‘ March in honour of the victims who had lost their lives in the protests. Up to 200,000 people - 25% of all adults participated.^[64] It is estimated that the number of demonstrators at the Pearl Roundabout reached its highest level on this day reaching more than 150,000,^[65](p97) and as protests intensified toward the end of the month,^[66] King Hamad was forced to offer concessions in the form of the release of political prisoners,^[67] the declaration of a national day of mourning for protesters killed in the preceding days,^[68] and the dismissal of several government ministers.^[69]

Protests continued into March, with the opposition expressing dissatisfaction with the government's response.^[70] A counter-demonstration on 2 March was staged, reportedly the largest political gathering in Bahrain's history in support of the government.^[71] Sectarian violence broke out the next day between naturalized Sunnis and local Shias youths in Hamad Town^[65](p117), and police deployed tear gas to break up the clashes.^[72] Protesters escalated their calls for Prime Minister Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa, in power since 1971, to step down, gathering outside his office on 6 March.^[73] Several major Shia groups also called for the abdication of the monarchy and the establishment of a democratic republic in Bahrain, calls which are tantamount to treason.^[74] On 13 March, the government reacted strongly, with riot police firing tear gas canisters and tearing down protest tents in the Pearl Roundabout and using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators in the financial district.^[75]

International military operations

On 14 March, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) agreed to deploy Peninsula Shield Force troops to Bahrain. Saudi Arabia deployed about 1,000 troops with armored support, and the United Arab Emirates deployed about 500 police officers. The forces crossed into Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway. The purported reason of the intervention was to secure key installations.^[76][77] The opposition reacted strongly, calling it an "occupation".^[78] The next day, King Hamad declared a state of emergency, and two people died in clashes between security officers and demonstrators.^[79][80] The Pearl Roundabout was violently cleared of protesters within days, leaving five dead and hundreds wounded.^[81] Several opposition figures, including Hassan Mushaima, were arrested. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Mushaima had claimed protesters were gunned down despite offering only nonviolent civil resistance.^[82][83] On 18 March, the Pearl Monument in the middle of the Pearl Roundabout was demolished on government orders.^[84] A planned "day of rage" across Bahrain late in March was quickly squelched by government troops, a sign of the apparent ascendancy of security forces in the faltering uprising.^[85][86]

In April, international doctors' organizations Médecins Sans Frontières and Physicians for Human Rights reported medical staff and patients were systematically detained from Bahraini hospitals by assailants allegedly acting on government orders.^{[87][88][89][90]} UK medics have stated that Bahrain is violating the Geneva Convention.^[90] The Bahraini government dismissed these reports as lies.^[91] Two Shia prisoners reportedly died in custody,^[92] but the government denied allegations that the jailed activists were tortured.^[93][94] Late in the month, four Shia demonstrators detained during March's deadly raid on the Pearl Roundabout were sentenced to death for allegedly attacking officers.^[95] The sentences for two of the condemned were later commuted to life imprisonment without parole.^[96] Bahrain's government suspended the country’s only independent newspaper on 3 April, accusing it of printing false information about the ongoing democratic protest movement and of plagiarizing. Al Wasat is the only newspaper in Bahrain without connections to the ruling family, and was one of few domestic news sources for information on the protest movement.^[97] A human rights advocate, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, was reported missing in Bahrain on 9 April after masked security guards beat him unconscious in the middle of the night and carried away him and two sons-in-law. The Bahraini government didn't have an immediate comment. However, Bahrain's Ministry of Interior reported the deaths of two protesters while being held in custody. Ali Isa Saqer, 31, died at a detention center on 9 April, and Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri, 40, who was being held since 2 April, was found dead in a detention facility, and an autopsy confirmed the cause of death was sickle cell disease, authorities said. BICI attributed his death to torture. ^{[65](p250-251)} Hassan was charged with inciting hatred against the government, spreading false news and calling for an overthrow of the government.^[98] On 12 April, Bahrain has put two Iranians and a Bahraini on trial on charges of spying for Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the state news agency said.^[99] On 15 April, Bahrain backed off its move to dissolve the kingdom’s strongest political opposition bloc after the US criticized the decision. The Ministry of Justice and Islamic affairs announced it was seeking court approval to ban Al Wefaq, a Shiite political bloc that is the government’s strongest opposition, and the smaller Islamic Action Society. It accused both groups of violating laws and harming “social peace and national unity.” But after the US State Department spokesman criticized the move, Bahrain’s official news agency removed the original statement and said that the ministry would wait for the outcome of current investigations before deciding to take action against the political societies. The abrupt U-turn suggests that the US, which has been largely silent over the past month, still wields influence over the tiny kingdom despite its acquiescence to Saudi interests there.^[100] On 22 April, Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition group said the Sunni-led government has demolished 30 mosques since quelling political unrest in the Persian Gulf nation started. The Ministry of Justice said the buildings were “illegal” and “unlicensed” and demolished “to protect houses of worship and maintain their sanctity,” Bahrain News Agency said.^[101] On 25 April, Bahrain sought the death penalty in a case against seven defendants accused of killing two policemen during pro-democracy demonstrations last month, the official Bahrain News Agency said.^[102]

Much of May was comparatively quiet in Bahrain, with security being enforced by soldiers and riot police empowered by the state of emergency to use lethal force, as well as by foreign troops under the GCC.^[103] However, some clashes between protesters and police were reported, with several injuries on both sides.^[104] Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, and a critic of al-Khalifa Regime, said four grenades were fired at the house at 3:30 am Saturday in the village of Bani Jamra, Bahrain, and two broke through the windows in quarters occupied by his brother, Nader, and his family. A third went off in the compound. He called the attack an attempt "to murder a member of my family to pressure me to stop my human rights activities," and described a harrowing scene of living quarters filled with acrid smoke that made breathing almost impossible.^[105] On 31 May, on the same day King Hamad called for a national dialogue to resolve ongoing tensions,^[106] a military court accused several opposition leaders and human rights activists of crimes against the state and ordered them to appear for interrogation.^{[107][108][109]} All of them were released in the same day.^[110][111]

On 31 May, the king of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, called for a national dialogue to resolve ongoing tensions.^[106] However the seriousness and effectiveness of the dialogue has been disputed by many opposition figures^{[112][113][114]} – it has even been referred to disparagingly as a "chitchat room".^[115]

On 1 June, protests erupted across Shia-dominated areas of Bahrain to demand the end of martial law as the state of emergency was officially lifted.^[116] Protests continued through early June, with demonstrators marching around the destroyed Pearl Roundabout, but security forces battled back and regularly dispersed demonstrators.^[117] The Bahrain Grand Prix, a major Formula 1 racing event, was officially cancelled as the uprising wore on.^[118] On 11 June, protest was announced in advance but did not receive government permission, opposition supporters said. It was held in the Shi'ite district of Saar, west of the capital. Police did not stop up to 10,000 people who came to the rally, many in cars, said a Reuters witness. Helicopters buzzed overhead.^[119] On 13 June, Bahrain's rulers commence the trials of 48 medical professionals, including some of the country's top surgeons, a move seen as the hounding of those who treated injured protesters during the popular uprising which was crushed by the military intervention of Saudi Arabia.^[120] On 18 June, The Bahraini government decided to lift a ban on the largest opposition party.^[121] On 22 June, the Bahraini government sent 21 opposition figures to be tried by a special security court^[122] which sentences 8 pro-democracy activists to life in prison for their role in the uprising;^[123] Others defendants were sentenced to between two and 15 years in jail.^[124]

On 9 August the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry announced that 137 detainees had been released, including Matar Matar and Jawad Fayrouz, Shia MPs from the Al-Wefaq opposition party.^[125]

Censorship and repression

The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights said that Bahraini authorities were blocking a Facebook group being used for planned protests on 14 February, and that its own website had been blocked for many years.^[46][45] Nabeel Rajab, head of the centre, said that the group was "only asking for political reforms, right of political participation, respect for human rights, stopping of systematic discrimination against Shias".^[17] Several bloggers were arrested prior to 6 February.^[46]

Following the deployment of Gulf Cooperation Council forces, the government stepped up the arrests of Shia Muslims, including many cyber activists, with more than 300 detained and dozens missing, the opposition stated on 31 March. Rajab said that a growing number of reform campaigners were going into hiding, after the country's most-prominent blogger, Mahmood al-Yousif, was arrested a day earlier, on 30 March.^[126] Although al-Yousif was released on 1 April, several other people, including Abdul Khaleq al-Oraibi, a pro-opposition doctor working at Salmaniya Hospital, were detained.^[127]

Google Earth had previously been blocked after it showed the locations of the ruling family's estates which was reported to have stirred up discontent.^[128]

On 3 April, Bahraini authorities prevented the publishing of Alwasat, the country's main opposition newspaper, and blocked its website. The Information Affairs Authority was said to be investigating allegations that editors intentionally published misleading information.^[129][130] However, on 4 April, the newspaper resumed printing, although a government spokesperson said the newspaper had broken press laws.^[131]

On 6 April, officials at a number of Bahraini companies said they had laid off more than 200 workers due to absence during a strike in March. According to Al Wefaq estimate, more than 1,000 workers had been laid off and most were Shia. More lay-offs are expected at the Bahrain Petroleum Company which had fired the head of its workers' union. In Geneva, Switzerland, the International Labour Organisation denounced the mass sackings and "other repressive measures" in Bahrain, and said it would organise a high-level mission to the Gulf state as soon as possible to talk to the government and to worker and employer organisations.^[131]

On 14 April, the Justice Ministry stated it was seeking to ban the Wefaq party, as well as the Islamic Action party, a Wefaq ally, for "undertaking activities that harmed social peace, national unity, and inciting disrespect for constitutional institutions."^[132] The US State Department quickly raised concerns about these plans, prompting the Bahraini authorities to state, a day later, that they were holding off any action until investigations into the Wefaq party were finalized.^[133]

In early May, Al Wefaq claimed that in response to the protests, Bahraini police had "raided up to 15 mainly girls schools, detaining, beating and threatening to rape girls as young as 12."^[134] Based on its own investigation, Al Jazeera English described the police actions as "periodic raids on girls' schools" and interviewed a 16-year-old girl, "Heba", who had been taken from her school together with three other pupils and beaten severely during three days of police detention.^[134]

By mid-May, 28 mosques and Shia religious buildings had been destroyed by the Bahraini authorities in response to the anti-government protests, according to Al Jazeera English^[135] and journalist Robert Fisk.^[136] The Justice Ministry stated that the mosques were destroyed because they were unlicensed. Adel Mouwda, first deputy speaker of the Council of Representatives of Bahrain, stated that the buildings destroyed were mostly "not mosques" since they were "expansions of mosques in some private territories", and that some of the mosques destroyed were Sunni mosques.^[135]

Expulsions

Alwasat newspaper, reported on 12 April, Issue no. 3139, that sixteen Lebanese nationals were requested by the Bahraini security services to leave the country. No details or reasons for the request were given.^[137]

However the Bahraini government claimed in a confidential report to the UN in April 2011 that Lebanese political organisation Hezbollah, considered a terrorist group by the US, is present in Bahrain and is actively involved in the organisation of the unrest.^[138][139]

Incarcerations

Amongst the more prominent opposition figures, the Al-Khawaja family has been intermittently in and out of prison, even before the uprising began. Since the start of the uprising, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, the former president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was placed on trial for his part in the uprising. On 22 June, he was sentenced to life in prison.^[140] His daughters and sons-in-law have also been intermittently in and out of prison since the counter-revolutionary crackdown by the government.^[141]

Ayat Al-Qurmozi was also found guilty of organising protests and assembling at the Pearl Roundabout and reading a poem critical of government policy. Sheikh Abdul-Aziz bin Mubarak, her spokesman, said that the poem "caused incitement and hatred to his majesty the king and to the prime minister" with lines such as "we are people who kill humiliation" and "assassinate misery."^[142]

As of 22 May 515 detainees had been released^[143] and more than 140 were released on 9 August.^[144]

Torture claims

In the period following the 2011 uprising numerous allegations of government-sponsored torture were reported in the media by human rights groups. The government has also alleged that protestors abducted and tortured members of the security forces,^[145] and there is evidence that Asian migrant workers were also subjected to attacks by groups of protestors.^[146] The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry is tasked with investigating all allegations of torture and is due to report its findings by the end of October 2011.^[147]

Torture claims made by:

Nabeel Rajab (president of BCHR) 9 & 10 April: Ali Sager died in prison as a result of torture.[148][149] 11 April: Martyr Zakaria Al Ashiri that we buried today – as you see the marks of torture.[150] 12 April: confirmed news on the torture of some arrested leaders including Hasan Mushaima, Ibrahim Sharif and Dr. Abduljalil Sengace.[151] 13 April: Witnesses confirm signs of torture on Fakhrawi's body.[152] 23 April: Reports that many of detained female & male doctors, nurses & paramedics undergoing systemic severe beating & torture>[153] 26 April: poet Ayat Al-Qurmozi subjected to severe torture and was forced to admit things have not committed in front of the camera.[154] 26 April: Dr.Sadik Radi is one of the youngest doctors-arrested two weeks ago – fear that he has been subjected to torture.[155] 8 May: Activist Mohd Hasan Jawad,65 y- was tortured severely, electrocuted and marks of tortured was clear on his body 2day in court (Nabeel Rajab's uncle).[156] 8 May: Some were tortured in order to say they are connected with Iran.[157] 22 May: Cleric Habib Miqdad (Swedish nationality) told judge he was tortured, shows wound allegedly cause by drill.[158] 22 May: Ahmed Abdullah:arrested a month ago w/out news But-unconfirmed news: he might be in military hospital due to Torture.[159] 23 May: 2 journalists tortured in Bahrain yesterday, torture of female journalist lasted 13 hours.[160] 23 May: Journalist Mazen Mahdi is being torture blindfolded & handcuffed during his suspension time.[161] 23 May: Martyr Karim Fakhrawi died due to torture & electrocution to force him to confess he was dealing with Iran & Hizboallah.[162] 24 May: Most of the defendants can't feel their fingers due to torture and some are afraid to complain due to threats they had received.[163] 24 May: With torture signs on their bodies, 15 Bahraini detainees's denied killing an Asian & accepted protesting charge.[164] 24 May: 15 accused of murder of an Asian-all defendants deny the charges except the charge of protesting. All defendants were tortured.[165] 25 May: Daily spiting in the mouth of detainees Abdullah Isa Al Mahroos and Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad in the morning.[166] 19 June: Physical and sexual abuses to cleric Merza Al Mahroos and cleric Mohammed Habib Al Meqdad. Other abuses to human rights activist Mohammed Jawad.[167][168] 19 June: The champion Tariq Al-Farsani made us proud in all of the world and carved Bahrain name in the international sports map while the injustice regime in Bahrain rewards him with arresting and torturing.[169] Los Angeles Times 13 April: BAHRAIN: Fourth person dies in police custody as human rights groups allege torture (about Karim Fakhrawi).[170] 4 May: BAHRAIN: Medical staff face prosecution, alleged torture after aiding anti-government protesters (about Fareeda Dallal and other unnamed doctors).[171] 17 May: BAHRAIN: Report alleges torture, calls for Obama, U.S. leaders to help.[172] ABC News 22 March: "Bahrain activists arrested and tortured" (about Nabeel Rajab).[173] 14 May: Bahrain denies torture claims.[174] The Independent 22 April: Bahrain security forces 'tortured patients'.[175] 10 May: Blindfolded, beaten and tortured: grim new testimony reveals fate of Bahrain's persecuted doctors.[176] 13 June: Ayat Al-Qurmozi was whipped across the face with electric cable, held for nine days in a tiny cell with the temperature near freezing, and was forced to clean lavatories with her bare hands.[177] 20 June: The government of Bahrain faces fresh allegations that it systematically tortured people it suspected of taking part in demonstrations against its autocratic rulers earlier this year, and of deliberately undermining the country's health system as 20 doctors go back on trial today for their supposed role in the protests. One of the world's most respected humanitarian organisations, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), alleges that security forces loyal to the tiny Gulf state's authoritarian leader, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, regularly beat hospital patients who had injuries that could have been sustained during the rallies that started in February. It also says that, after working alongside the country's doctors and nurses for months, the charges against them are without merit.[178] Human Rights First 12 May: “When he was recovering from the operation they tortured him again,” Torture and Unfair Trial of Protesters in Bahrain (about the 21 suspects: Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, Abdulwahab Hussain Ali Ahmed, Ibrahim Sharif Abdulraheem Mossa, Hassan Ali Mushaima, Abduljalil Abdullah Al Singace, Mohammed Habib Al Saffaf, Saeed Mirza Ahmed, Abduljalil Radhi Mansoor Makki (Abduljalil Al Muqdad), Abdulhadi Abdulla Mahdi Hassan, Al Hurr Yousif Mohammed, Abdullah Isa Al Mahroos, Salah Hubail Al Khawaja, Mohammed Hassan Jawad and Mohammed Ali Ismael. Seven more being tried in absentia are: Akeel Ahmed Al Mafoodh, Ali Hassan Abdullah, Abdulghani Ali Khanjar, Saeed Abdulnabi Shehab, Abdulraoof Al Shayeb, Abbas Al Umran and Ali Hassan Mushaima.[179] Financial Times 23 May: Foreign media allege Bahrain abuse.[180] Front Line 9 May: Bahrain: Serious concerns about torture and fair trial of former Front Line Protection Coordinator Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja after initial hearing.[181] Amnesty International 6 May: Bahrain: Further information: Human rights defender tortured in detention (about Abdulhadi Alkhawaja).[182] Socialist Worker Online 7 May: Bahrainis take torture evidence to UN.[183] The Guardian 28 April: Bahrain 'torture service' official to attend royal wedding.[184] Daily Mail 20 May: Cameron blasted for welcoming 'torturer' of Bahrain to No. 10.[185] The Christian Science Monitor 16 May: Bahrain rights activist's wife details torture, unfair trial (about Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad).[186] 8 June: Bahrain campaign to humiliate Shiites goes beyond politics ("Apart from quashing political dissent, the Sunni-led government appears bent on psychologically humiliating the island’s Shiite majority into silent submission.")[187] CNN 13 April: Agency: 4th protester to die in Bahrain may have been tortured (about Karim Fakhrawi).[188] BBC News 11 April: Bahrain unrest: Torture fears as activists die in jail.[189] World Socialist website 13 April: US-backed Bahrain regime tortures, murders critics (about Ali Saqer).[190] Nicholas Kristof (columnist for The New York Times) 16 May: Our close ally, Bahrain, has a consistent record of using sexual abuse of male and female detainees as a form of torture.[191] Kristen Chick (Reporter for The Christian Science Monitor) 16 May: Another defendant, Mohamed Hassan Jawad, tried to show marks of torture on legs during hearing today, was silenced, say witnesses.[192]

Casualties

Injuries

As of February 2011, the total number of injured since the start of the protests is 541, out of which 485 have been released and 56 are still hospitalised.^[193] Speaking before the parliament, Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said that some 391 security officers and 56 citizens and expatriates were also injured while four other security officers were "abducted and tortured".^[194]

Deaths

Bahrain's Interior Minister, Sheikh Rashed bin Abdullah al-Khalifa, stated on 29 March that a total of twenty-four people had been killed in the protests. He said that four security officers, seven civilians and 13 protesters had perished in the weeks of unrest.^[194] Two of the civilians were an Indian and a Bangladeshi. With the deaths of four detained protestors in custody between 3 and 12 April^[195] the death toll reached 30 (when including the four police officers and one Saudi soldier killed^[196]).^[197] Later, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights claimed on 14 April, that 31 protestors were killed since the start of the unrest,^[198] which would make a total of 36 deaths.

There are 26 confirmed deaths, 25 civilians and one Saudi soldier:

Deaths

Name	Age	From	Date of Death	Cause of Death
Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima[199]	21	Daih	14 Feb 2011	died in hospital on the evening of Monday, 14 February, 2011 after reportedly being hit in the back by bird pellet gunshots (a type of shotgun shell) fired from short distance by Bahraini security forces during the 2011 Bahraini uprising[200]
Fadhel Al-Matrook[199]	31	Mahooz	15 Feb 2011	Buckshot wounds (shotgun)
Mahmood Ahmed Makki[201]	23	Sitra	17 Feb 2011	Buckshot wounds (shotgun)
Ali Mansoor Khudhair[201]	52	Sitra	17 Feb 2011	Buckshot wounds (shotgun)
Isa Abdul Hasan[201]	60	Karzakan	17 Feb 2011	Close range shotgun wound to the head
Ali Al-Mo'men[202]	22	Sitra	17 Feb 2011	Buckshot wounds (shotgun)
Abdul Redha Buhmaid[203]	32	Malkiya	21 Feb 2011	Live bullet in the head on 18 Feb 2011
Ali Ebrahim al-Demestani	18	Demestan	N/A	N/A
Ahmed Farhan[204]	24	Sitra	15 Mar 2011	Close range shotgun wound to the head Ahmed head after being shot (caution, shocking content) on YouTube
Sgt. Ahmed al-Raddadi[205]	N/A	Saudi Arabia	15 Mar 2011	A security official in Saudi Arabia claimed that he was shot and killed by a protester.
Jaafar Abd al-Ali Salman[206]	41	Karranah	16 Mar 2011	Buckshot wounds (shotgun)
Ahmed Abdulla Hassan[207]	23	Daih	16 Mar 2011	Buckshot wounds (shotgun)
Aklas Miah[208]	N/A	Bangladesh	16 Mar 2011	While protesters claim that he was killed by "armed Saudi snipers", Bangladesh's government claims that Aklas Miah was struck and killed by a truck in the city of Sitra.[209] He was buried on 23 March in Golapganj, Sylhet, Bangladesh.[9]
Steven Abraham[210]	N/A	India	16 Mar 2011	Stray bullet. Bled to death
Jaafar Mayouf[206]	N/A	Aa’li	N/A	N/A
Jawad Mohammed Shamlan	57	Alhijr	16 Mar 2011	The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry reports that Jawad was shot by the Bahrain Defence Force at a checkpoint at the Isa Town Flyover on his way to work at the Khamis police station.[65](p143) The Commission report, citing Jawad's family, says that they contacted the police station after Jawad failed to answer his mobile phone. The police first claimed to not know of Jawad's whereabouts, then stated Jawad was on a special mission and could not talk on the phone, and finally stated that Jawad had entered a brawl with the army and they were detaining him until the morning. A female family member placed a call later in the evening to Jawad's mobile phone. The person who answered claimed to have killed Jawad and then made sexual threats towards her. The family continued receiving calls from Jawad's mobile phone, including one call impersonating Jawad.[65](p256) The Commission also cites a government investigation that that the Bahrain Defence Force fired a .50 calibre Browning bullet at Jawad's car after it rammed into a barricade at the checkpoint. The government investigation states that the bullet entered Jawad's body above the knee, and exited from his lower abdomen after being deflected off of the body of the vehicle and the tyres.[65](pp256-7) Amateur video of Jawad's corpse shows injuries to the front of his left knee and the front of his lower abdomen on the left side[211], as well as injuries to his back.[212] Jawad's family has not been able to recover his car or his two mobile phones.[65](pp256)
Radhi Isa Al Radhi[206]	N/A	Sitra	19 Mar 2011	Tortured to death by government forces, fracture in the skull
Abdulrasool Al-Hijiari	38	Boori	21 Mar 2011	N/A
Bahia Al-Aradi[213]	51	Manama	21 Mar 2011	Alwasat newspaper, citing a medical report, says that Bahia sustained a shot to the back of her head, and a shot to her left shoulder. Witness reports cited by Alwasat say that Bahia's car was first hit from the front by a bullet, and was then hit by a sniper round.[214] Amateur video of Bahia's car, apparently taken the morning after the shooting, shows one or two bullet holes in windshield, and a single bullet hole in the rear window.[215] The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry released details of a government investigation that concluded Bahia was hit in the back of her head by shrapnel from a .50 calibre bullet fired by a Bahrain Defence Force machine gun. The government investigation stated that the bullet was deflected off a hard surface after being fired at an SUV containing two intoxicated westerners who failed to stop at a military checkpoint.[65](pp231-2)
Hani Abdul Aziz Abdullah Jumah[216]	33	Bilad al-Qadim	24 Mar 2011	4 Buckshots (shotgun) to his 4 limbs on 19 March, left to bleed to death
Aziz Jum’ah	N/A	Alhijr	N/A	N/A
Isa Abdullah[217]	71	Maameer	25 Mar 2011	Asphyxiation (teargas)
Hasan Jasem Makki[218]	39	N/A	3 Apr 2011	Died in police custody, reason unclear
Sayed Hameed Mahfoodh Ibrahim Al-Mahfoodh	61	Sar	6 Apr 2011	Left home for a regular errand and was found at dawn murdered near a local petrol station. His body showed signs of gross abuse and was covered in a black garbage bag. So far, there has been no known official inquiry into the murder, but the victim's family report that so-called thugs (Arabic "Baltajiya") were involved.
Ali Isa Al-Saqer[219]	31	Sehla	9 Apr 2011	Died in police custody, reasons unclear. Authorities claim he died from injuries while resisting security forces.[220] Opposition and human rights activist believed he may have suffered physical abuse or torture by police.[189]
Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri[219]	40	Al Dair	9 Apr 2011	Died in police custody, reasons unclear. Authorities claim he died due to a complication of sickle cell anemia.[221] Opposition and human rights activist believed he may have suffered physical abuse or torture by police.[189]
Kareem Fakhrawi	41	N/A	12 Apr 2011	Died in police custody, reason unclear.[170][195][222] Nabeel Rajab, president of BCHR claims that he died due to torture & electrocution to force him to confess he was dealing with Iran & Hizbollah.[162] Signs of torture on Kareem Fakhrawi body on YouTube
Zainab Altajer	N/A	N/A	2 June 2011	Opposition activists said she died as a result of exposure to tear gas, but the government said her death was due to natural causes.[223]
Salman Abu Idris	63	N/A	3 June 2011	died in hospital of injuries from a demonstration in March.[223] Signs of torture on Salman Issa Abu Idris body on YouTube
Majid Ahmed Mohammed	30	N/A	3 June 2011	died on Thursday in a military hospital from injuries sustained during the military crackdown on protests in March.[224]
Jaber Ibrahim al-Alawiat	43	N/A	14 June 2011	Witnesses say he was “severely tortured” by Bahraini regime forces while in detention.[225]
Hasan Sitri	70	N/A	19 June 2011	Murdered while he was walking, was hit with a sharp tool in Nuwaidrat area. People believe that he has been martyred on the hands of Bahraini regime mercenaries.[226]
Zainab Al Juma (Disabled women)	47	Sitra	15 July 2011	Died inside her home as a result of inhalation of tear gas that has been thrown inside the houses in the village by the riot police.[227][228] Bahrain Teargassing Homes 15.07 on YouTube
Ali Jawad Ahmad al-Sheikh	14	Sitra	1 Sept 2011	Died from blunt force trauma to the back of his neck, with multiple wounds on his body.[229] Meanwhile, government officials say they are investigating the death and Bahrain's Interior Ministry has offered a 10,000 Bahraini dinar ($26,400) reward for information leading to the arrest of his killer, state news agency BNA reported Thursday.[230]
Seyyed Jawad Hashem	??	Sitra	14 Sept 2011	Inhaled teargas on Monday 12 September, died two days later.[231]
Seyyed Saleh Al-Hallai	??	Sitra	16 Sept 2011	Inhaled teargas on Seyyed Jawad Hashem's funerl. Died of injury on Friday September 16.[231]
Ahmed Jaber al-Qattan	16 or 17	Abu Saiba	6 Oct 2011	Died as a result of being hit in chest, abdomen and upper limb by bird pellet gunshots fired by Bahraini security forces[232] during the 2011 Bahraini uprising. Ministry of Interior stated that there was a gathering of 20 people in Abu Saiba who blocked the roads and police men intervened to disperse them as authorized.[233]
Ali al Daihi	78	Dehi	10 Nov 2011	According to the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Ali Hasan al-Dehi was beaten to death by riot police while returning to his home in the village of Dehi. [234]
Ali Yousif Badah	16	Sitra	19 Nov 2011	Run over by the police car.
Ali Ahmed Radhi	22	Abu Saiba'a	15 Dec 2011	When police chasing him another civilian car run over him
Abd Ali Ali Al-Muwalie	58	Miqsha'a	17 Dec 2011	Asphyxiation (teargas)
Sayed Hashim Saeed	15	Sitra	31 December 2011	Tear gas canister fired at a close range to his chest and neck by Bahrain security forces.[235]

Domestic responses

Executive

Prior to the outbreak of the larger scale protests and the first domestic crackdown, King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa's announcement of giving BD1,000 to each family.^[6][7] This was interpreted by Al Jazeera as a favour to all Bahraini citzens.^[7] The King also offered to increase social spending and to release minors jailed after the August 2010 protests.^[7] On 15 February, on television King Hamad offered condolences for the deaths of two protesters, said that a parliamentary committee to investigate the deaths would be created, and stated that peaceful protests are legal.^[55] The following day the president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Nabeel Rajab said that the King's response was not enough to satisfy protesters' demands.^[236] After the government crackdown with the support of Saudi Arabia, the king said that "An external plot has been fomented for 20 to 30 years until the ground was ripe for subversive designs...I here announce the failure of the fomented plot."^[237] He also thanked the GCC states for their intervention.^[238]

He called for "dialogue" and a direction that the King's son, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, work on a resolution to the conflict.^[239] On 13 March, in a televised statement, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa renewed his call for national dialogue, promising talks would address key demands such as bolstering the power of parliament and that any deal could be put to a referendum. He said talks would also cover electoral and governmental reforms, as well as looking into claims of corruption and sectarianism.^[75]

King Hamad took a series of steps aimed at initiating a period of reconciliation following the unrest in February and March 2011. He established the Bahrain national dialogue on 1 July 2011 as a forum for the discussion and promotion of reform. The National Dialogue aims to establish “common principles for the relaunch of the political reform process," according to Chairman Khalifa Al Dhahrani.^[240] The King also established the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), chaired by noted human rights lawyer M. Cherif Bassiouni], on 29 June 2011 to investigate the events of February and March 2011 and their consequences. The BICI will publicise its report by the end of October 2011. ^[241]

Legislative

Abdul Jalil Khalil, an Al Wefaq National Islamic Society member of parliament, described the 17 February pre-dawn police raid on the Pearl Roundabout encampment as "real terrorism", stating that "whoever took the decision to attack the protest was aiming to kill."^[18] Its MP Jassim Hussein said that "I don't think the regime is willing to meet most of our demands. But even if it does, I am not sure it will be enough to get the youth off the street. It is personal now." Following demands from young protesters for the end of the ruling regime^[242] and in protest against the deaths during demonstrations, all eighteen party MPs submitted their official resignations from parliament.^[243]

Four members of the Shura council, the upper house of parliament, Mohamed Hadi al-Halawji, Mohamed Baqir Hasan Radi, Nasser al-Mubarak and Nada Hafad resigned in protests against the crackdown. Hafad quit first accusing the government and state media of attempting to foment divisions within Bahraini society.^[83]

A parliamentary by-election was held on 24 September 2011^[244] to replace the 18 members of the largest political party in parliament, al Wefaq, who had resigned in protest at governmental actions.^[245][246] Security forces made several arrests on 23 September and on 24 September closed Pearl Roundabout and attacked protestors in the village of Sanabis, who intended to march to Pearl Roundabout.^[246]

International reactions

The uprising has had consequences for Bahrain from the international community as well as foreign investors, including Formula One, which canceled the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix due to instability and outcry over the actions of the Bahraini government.^[247] Western governments and organisations have generally expressed more magnanimity toward the Bahraini government, seen as a key ally of the European Union and the United States and a bulwark against nearby Iran, than they have toward other governments accused of violating the human rights of protesters during the Arab Spring.^{[248][249][250]} The United States and the United Kingdom have condemned the use of violence by Bahraini authorities. They did not call for regime change or threaten sanctions.^[251][252]

Iran has expressed strong support for demonstrators, the majority of whom follow Shia Islam, the Iranian state religion.^[253][254] Relations between Tehran and Manama have cooled considerably during the uprising, with both countries expelling one another's ambassadors.^[255][256] Iran was joined by Iraq in opposing the Gulf Cooperation Council's military intervention in Bahrain.^[257] Allies of the Bahraini government, such as Saudi Arabia and other GCC member states, have conversely blamed Iran for inciting upheaval in the small archipelago country and questioned the legitimacy of the protesters' demands,^[258] echoing Manama's claims.^[259]

Thousands of Shia protesters arose in Iraq and Qatif, Saudi Arabia, in opposition to the Saudi-led intervention in Bahrain. The Gulf Co-operation Council and the Saudi government have defended the action as necessary to restore stability and security in the country.^[260][261]

Human rights groups including Amnesty International have documented alleged atrocities in Bahrain and strongly condemned authorities' response to the uprising.^[262] The treatment of medical professionals accused of administering to opposition activists has been a particular source of distress to critics of the government, including both human rights advocates and journalists working in the region.^[263]

The Bahraini government’s decision to establish an independent inquiry to investigate the unrest won praise from many western governments, such as the United Kingdom^[264] and the United States,^[265] as well as human rights organisations such as Amnesty International .^[266]

See also

• Bahrain: Shouting in the dark, Al Jazeera English documentary about the uprising.
• March Intifada in Bahrain
• 1990s Uprising in Bahrain
• Civil resistance
• List of modern conflicts in the Middle East
• Shi'a–Sunni relations
• Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
• Arab spring

References

Coverage by human rights organizations

• Amnesty International Bahrain
• Amnesty International report on Bahrain protests
• Human Rights Watch Bahrain
• Doctors Without Borders Bahrain

Further reading

• Karolak, Magdalena (2010). "Religion in a Political Context: The Case of the Kingdom of Bahrain". Asia Journal of Global Studies 4 (1): 4–20. http://ajgs.org/index.php/AJGS/article/view/77. 
• Niethammer, Katja (2008). "Opposition Groups in Bahrain". In Lust-Okar, Ellen; Zerhouni, Saloua. Political Participation in the Middle East. Boulder: Lynne Rienner. ISBN 9781588266262. 
• Schmidmayr, Michael (2009). "Toothless Parliament, Powerless Courts, and Omnipotent Incumbents? The Case of Bahrain". RSCAS Working Papers 51. http://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/12681/RSCAS_2009_51.pdf?sequence=1. 
• Wright, Steven (2008). "Fixing the Kingdom: Political Evolution and Socio-Economic Challenges in Bahrain". CIRS Occasional Paper No. 3. http://www12.georgetown.edu/sfs/qatar/cirs/FixingTheKingdom.pdf. 

External links

Wikinews has news related to: [//en.wikinews.org/wiki/Category:2011_Bahrain_anti-government_protests 2011 Bahrain anti-government protests]

General

• Bahrain Protests collected coverage at Al Jazeera English
• Bahrain collected coverage at Reuters
• Rose Revolution In Bahrain
• Bahrain Protests 2011 collected coverage at Global Voices Online
• Bahrain Protests collected coverage at the Los Angeles Times

2011 Bahraini uprising Part of the Arab Spring Events Timeline Deaths Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima • Fadhel Al-Matrook • Zakariya Rashid Hassan al-Ashiri • Ahmed Jaber al-Qattan • Ali Jawad al-Sheikh Opposition groups Al Wefaq National Islamic Society • Bahrain Freedom Movement • February 14 Youth Coalition • Haq Movement • Islamic Action Society • National Democratic Action Society • Nationalist Democratic Rally Society • Progressive Democratic Tribune People Activists Ali Abdulemam • Mohammed Albuflasa • Abdulhadi Alkhawaja • Maryam Alkhawaja • Ayat Al-Qurmezi • Mahmood Al-Yousif • Naji Fateel • Nabeel Rajab • Lamees Dhaif Opposition Munira Fakhro • Hasan Mushaima • Sheikh Isa Qassim • Ali Salman • Ibrahim Sharif Government Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (King) • Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa (Prime Minister) • Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (Crown Prince) • Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifah (Foreign minister) Human Rights reports Detailed Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (International figures appointed by King)  • Human Price of Freedom and Justice (Local NGOs) • Targets of Retribution (Human Rights Watch) • ICG report on the 2011 Bahrain revolt (International Crisis Group)  • Do No Harm (Physicians for Human Rights)  • Which Future for Bahrain? (Human Rights Without Frontiers) Short Bloodied But Unbowed (Amnesty International)  • MSF special report on 2011 Bahraini uprising (Doctors Without Borders)  • Irish Fact Finding Delegation On Bahrain (Independent Irish figures) Background Al Bandar report • 1990s uprising in Bahrain • Human rights in Bahrain • Torture in Bahrain • Corruption in Bahrain • Manama incident Other International reactions • Qorvis • Pearl Roundabout • Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark  Category ·  Commons

Arab Spring "Ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam" Events by country Algeria Bahrain Egypt (revolution · transition) Iraq Israeli borders Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya (civil war · transition) Morocco Oman Saudi Arabia Sudan Syria Tunisia Western Sahara Yemen Groups Bahrain: Al Wefaq · February 14 Youth Coalition Egypt: April 6 Youth Movement · Kefaya · Muslim Brotherhood · National Association for Change · National Democratic Party · Revolutionary Socialists Libya: National Liberation Army · National Transitional Council Saudi Arabia: Umma Islamic Party Syria: Free Syrian Army · Syrian Revolution General Commission · National Council of Syria · National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change Tunisia: Constitutional Democratic Rally Western Sahara: Polisario Front Yemen: Alliance of Yemeni Tribes · Al-Islah · Hashid Notable people Algeria: Abdelaziz Bouteflika Bahrain: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa · Hasan Mushaima · Ali Salman · Ali Jawad al-Sheikh Egypt: Hosni Mubarak · Omar Suleiman · Wael Ghonim · Khaled Mohamed Saeed · Gigi Ibrahim · Essam Sharaf · Mohamed ElBaradei Jordan: King Abdullah II · Marouf al-Bakhit · Samir Rifai Libya: Muammar Gaddafi · Saif al-Islam Gaddafi · Mustafa Abdul Jalil · Mahmoud Jibril · Mohammed Nabbous Morocco: Mohammed VI · Abbas El Fassi Saudi Arabia: Manal al-Sharif Sudan: Hassan al-Turabi Syria: Bashar al-Assad · Riad Seif · Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb Tunisia: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali · Mohamed Bouazizi Yemen: Ali Abdullah Saleh · Abd al-Rab Mansur al-Hadi · Tawakel Karman · Abdul Majeed al-Zindani · Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar · Sadiq al-Ahmar Impact Occupy movement Albania Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Burkina Faso Croatia Djibouti Georgia Greece India Iran Iraqi Kurdistan Maldives Mexico People's Republic of China Portugal Spain Turkey United Kingdom United States (2011 Wisconsin protests · Occupy Wall Street) International reactions United Nations General Assembly Resolution 65/265 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2009 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2014 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2016 Category  Commons  Wikiquotes

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