We, the undersigned organizations, express grave concern over Bahrain’s escalating campaign of religious persecution targeting the country’s Shia Muslim citizens amid the regional tensions surrounding the recent war with Iran and during the 2026 Ashura season. Since February 2026, Bahraini authorities have reportedly arrested or summoned more than 600 individuals as part of an expanding[…]
06
Jul
Jul
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[…]
08
Jun
Jun
Introduction Since May 2026, Bahrain has been waging an unprecedented crackdown on its Shia citizens, manifested through a wave of raids, citizenship revocations, and mass arrests targeting dozens of preachers, religious reciters (rawadid), activists, and clerics. The number of detained clerics has reached 53. This is unfolding against a backdrop of acute regional tensions linked[…]
02
Dec
Dec
At the end of October, Saudi Arabia appointed Sheik Saleh bin Abdullah bin Fawzan al-Fawzan as the Kingdom’s Grand Mufti. The Grand Mufti is the highest religious official in Saudi Arabia and also the chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars, which is the country’s highest religious body. This gives the grand Mufti great influence[…]
02
Oct
Oct
On 2 August 2025, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) delivered an intervention during the 60th session of the Human Rights Council, under Item 9. ADHRB highlighted the systematic persecution of Shia citizens in Saudi Arabia and called for an end to sectarian discrimination, the release of detainees, freedom of religious practice,[…]
