Over the last year (April 2013-April 2014) no protestors or rioters have died as a result of police actions. No rioters have been shot dead; nobody has been killed by a tear gas canister; and no protesters died as a result of torture or excessive force.
Over this same period, six police have been killed, all as a result of explosive devices.
Opposition groups like Al-Wefaq, the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and Bahrain Watch cannot claim that we have falsified statistics in order to state this fact, because it is their statistics we have been using.
Seven people cited by the opposition as martyrs actually died during involvement in criminal or terrorist activity, often as a result of their own actions.
The facts below show that there has been nobody who can be claimed to be a “martyr” over the past year; even by the opposition’s own loose definition of this term.
Deaths during criminal or terrorist activities
Rioters have indeed died over this period, but the only two individuals who died during riots were killed as a result of their own actions: Ahmed Abdulamir was trying to throw a Molotov, which exploded in his hand, and later died of severe burns; Mohammed Al Kasoor was killed by a falling palm tree that he had been cutting down to build a roadblock.
At least two people have been killed by their own explosive devices; Hussain Sharaf was on the run for murdering a 19-year old policeman, but died after a huge explosion in the location where he was hiding out; Ali Khalil died while transporting an IED in the village of Bani Jamra.
Weapons shipments being smuggled from Iran were impounded in early 2014, this resulted in a series of operations to impound smuggled weapons and explosives. In an operation against a group of weapons smugglers, the suspects tried to evade arrest by driving their vehicle directly at police. One of the suspects, Fadhel Muslim was shot dead after police had fired several warning shots.
Tear gas & illness
If we look at others listed as martyrs by the opposition, we find that only one person over this period, Jawad Al Hawi, has been claimed as a “tear gas victim” and even this is disputed by medical sources.
This shows that despite the opposition propaganda, tear gas is not being used as an “offensive weapon” and that police are following procedures for appropriate use of tear gas.
Two individuals, Jaafar Al Dirazi and Yusuf Al Nashmy were transferred to hospital while in detention. Jaafar died as a result of complications arising from sickle cell anaemia and Yusuf died from a brain tumor. In both cases the opposition claimed without evidence that medical authorities had been negligent in their treatment.
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Individuals killed during involvement in criminal or terrorist activities |
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1 Apr 2014 |
Wanted for murder of policeman. Died after an explosion in the location where he was hiding in Al-Eker |
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25 Jan 2014 |
Shot during weapons-smuggling operation in Diraz |
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Ahmed Abdulamir |
30 Nov 2013 |
Died from burns after the Molotov Cocktail he was about to throw exploded, in Sanabis |
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Ali Khalil Al Sabbagh |
22 Oct 2013 |
Killed by homemade bomb he was carrying, presumably with intention of killing police & civilians; in Bani Jamra |
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Mohammed Al Kasoor |
13 Sep 2013 |
Hit by falling palm tree while building road block in Al-Daih during preparation for rioting |
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Hussein Kadhem |
29 Jul 2013 |
Police car overturned with him inside after being detained on charges of theft |
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Hussein Abdulkareem |
26 Jun 2013 |
Killed while building bomb in workshop in his home in Saar |
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Other individuals listed as “martyrs” by opposition |
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Jawad Ahmed Al Hawi |
17 Mar 2014 |
Opposition sources say tear gas / medical sources say heart failure |
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Jaafar Al Dirazi |
26 Feb 2014 |
Complications due to sickle cell anaemia (transferred from detention to hospital). Opposition sources claimed “medical negligence” |
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Asma Hussein |
11 Feb 2014 |
Heart attack; reportedly after a raid on her home |
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Yusuf Ali Al Nashmy |
11 Oct 2013 |
Brain tumor (transferred from detention to hospital) |
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Sadeq Jaafar Sabt |
1 Sep 2013 |
Killed in car accident in Sehla; having been on the run from police for a year and a half |
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Policemen killed by terrorist bombs |
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Ammar Al Dhalei |
3 Mar 2014 |
All three killed on in an explosion in Al-Daih |
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Tariq Al Shehi |
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Mohammed Arslan |
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Abdulwahid Al Balooshi |
15 Feb 2014 |
Explosion in Al-Deir |
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Muhammad Amir Abdulkhaliq |
18 Sep 2014 |
Dies of his injuries caused by a bomb blast |
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Yasser Dhaib |
6 Jul 2014 |
Killed by a homemade bomb explosion |
Main sources
Full death toll list by opposition newspaper Al-Wasat
http://www.alwasatnews.com/4236/news/read/875494/1.html
Bahrain Centre for Human Rights
Bahrain Watch: List of fatalities
https://bahrainwatch.org/bici/deaths.php
Bahrain’s Feb14 Revolution Martyrs List
http://feb14media.no-ip.info/martyrslisteng/
Gulf Daily News: Officers killed in the line of duty since 2011
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=372166
(the above sources have also been cross-checked with media reporting and statements by the Bahraini Ministry of Interior and other relevant departments)