Executive Summary

This report tracks the escalating violations related to Ashura rituals in Bahrain from May to the end of June 2026. It documents a growing pattern of security and administrative restrictions targeting the Shia community’s freedom of religion and belief during preparations for the month of Muharram and the Ashura season. The information is based on cases monitored and verified by Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB). These figures represent only the minimum number of documented cases and do not necessarily reflect the full scale of violations, especially since arrests, summonses, and restrictive measures continued until the publication of this report in July 2026.

The report is based on information and testimonies collected by the organization from local sources inside Bahrain, including accounts provided by victims and human rights activists. It also draws on the review and analysis of open-source materials, official statements, and publicly available online content, all of which were cross-checked and verified in accordance with the organization’s human rights monitoring methodology.

The report is divided into the following main sections:

• First: Government Decisions for the 2026 Ashura Season (Pre-existing Administrative Restrictions): This section documents how restrictions became institutionalized through a set of measures to reorganize the endowment authorities and place the Jaafari Endowments under a government structure headed by the Minister of Justice, severely undermining their sectarian independence. Additionally, it highlights strict time limits requiring mourning processions to end at midnight, banning them from moving outside designated areas, and turning religious rituals into activities that require “prior security approval” for eulogists, limiting participation to a small, pre-approved list and excluding dozens of others.
• Second: Violations Before the Ashura Season (Preemptive Arrest and Crackdown Campaigns): This section reviews the preemptive security campaign carried out by security forces before the start of Muharram. The campaign led to the monitoring and documentation of 54 cases of arrest and detention, and 20 individual summonses by name, alongside mass summonses targeting dozens of citizens. The campaign also targeted individuals participating in religious events held before Ashura, such as the anniversaries of the martyrdom of Imam Al-Jawad and Imam Al-Baqir. It included raids on the homes of detained clerics’ families as a means of pressure and intimidation. Five cases of detention and summons involved minors, while raids and home invasions affected 9 villages and religious locations.
• Third: Targeting Preachers, Eulogists, and Ma’tam Organizers: This section highlights the targeting of the Husaini pulpit through the banning of 24 preachers and eulogists from taking part in religious rituals. The authorities deployed a system of “unwritten administrative bans” through sudden phone calls informing individuals of the ban without any legal justification. This was accompanied by the summoning of ma’tam leaders, forcing them to sign unfair security pledges while holding them legally responsible for the content of Ashura sermons and mourning gatherings.
• Fourth: Violations During the Ashura Season (Suppressing Protests and Targeting Public Space): This section moves to the situation on the ground, documenting the use of excessive force, including tear gas, rubber bullets, and sound bombs, against citizens who peacefully protested the removal of black mourning banners. It also records dozens of campaigns to remove Ashura flags and symbols and tear down banners. In addition, security forces imposed a security cordon to block and cancel central mourning events, with direct targeting affecting more than 20 different areas and villages across Bahrain.
• Fifth: Violations of the Religious Rights of Political Prisoners During Ashura: This section documents how sectarian restrictions extended into detention centers. Political prisoners in Jau Prison and the Dry Dock Detention Center were prevented from holding collective religious rituals, and their Husaini turbahs (prayer tablets) and religious books were confiscated. This further worsened the situation, driving hundreds of prisoners to launch open collective hunger strikes in protest against institutional persecution inside the prisons.
• Sixth: Climate of Religious Persecution and Systematic Discrimination Against Shia Citizens: This section places the documented violations within their broader human rights context. It explains that these practices are not just temporary administrative measures, but part of an ongoing environment of persecution and systematic discriminatory policies that undermine the religious and cultural rights of the Shia community in Bahrain, with these violations steadily intensifying over time.
• Seventh: Violations of Constitutional and International Obligations: The report concludes that the measures taken by Bahrain constitute a clear violation of both domestic constitutional obligations and international treaties, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This confirms the systematic nature of the restrictions placed on religious freedoms.

The report concludes with a set of urgent recommendations addressed to the Government of Bahrain, most notably:

1. Full respect for religious freedoms and an end to interference with Ashura practices, while ensuring the right to practice rituals in both public and private spaces without arbitrary restrictions.
2. Immediate and unconditional release of all detainees arrested or held in connection with their participation in or organization of religious processions and gatherings, and dropping all related charges.
3. Ending the policy of systematic summonses and arrests targeting clerics, preachers, eulogists, and ma’tam organizers for their peaceful religious activities.
4. Canceling and reviewing restrictive and unjustified administrative decisions, especially the system of “prior security approval” and ban lists.
5. Guaranteeing full religious rights for detainees inside places of detention, in line with Articles 18 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
6. Issuing an open invitation to the United Nations Special Rapporteurs on freedom of religion or belief to visit the country and assess the human rights situation.
   

   Full Report: 

   Final English version_ Ashura 2026 in Bahrain_ Increased Restrictions on Shia Muslims’ Right to Freedom of Religion and Belief