Information received by the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) suggests that the Ministry of Interior in Bahrain is systematically targeting journalists as they cover the protests that have been on-going in the country since the arrest of opposition leader Ali Salman on 28 December 2014.

On 5 January 2015, while photojournalist Mazen Mahdi, correspondent for the German Press Agency (DPA) and the European Press Photo Agency (EPA), was covering protests relating to the arrest of Ali Salman, he was hit with tear-gas in Bilad Al-Qadeem village, a suburb of Manama. On the same day, Amer Mohammed, a videographer working for Reuters, and Hammed I Mohammed, a photojournalist working for Reuters, were also subjected to direct police tear-gas attacks in two separate incidents, in which Mahdi was also involved. 

The first incident occurred when Amer Mohammed and Mahdi moved into an alley, off the main road, to avoid an advance by a police Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) directed against protesters. Both of them, together with a citizen-photojournalist, were targeted from behind, by police who stormed the alley and fired tear-gas at them. The three reporters were all holding cameras and both Mohammed and Mahdi were clearly identifiable as media due to their gear and media vests. Fortunately none of the three were hit directly by the round.

Shortly after both Mohammed and Mahdi were subject to similar direct fire targeting in a different alley where the two of them were standing. An APC stormed up to them and stopped about 50 meters away when Mahdi screamed “sahafa” in Arabic meaning “press” and showed his cameras. The APC paused then fired tear-gas rounds at Mahdi and moved a bit forward and then fired at Mohammed, although fortunately both firing incidents missed hitting them directly. A video attached to Mahdi’s press vest captured the incident, which is available at the following link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPVZZt3IRdw).

On the afternoon of 4 January 2015, while again covering similar protests in Bilad Al-Qadeem village, Mahdi was hit twice with tear-gas rounds fired by the police. The first incident involved direct tear-gas fire from a police APC that was aimed straight at a protester. It opened fire at the protester as he tried to run away after placing a flag nearby. Mahdi, who was behind the protester, pointed to his vest marked “press” and to the cameras at hand. Despite this he was hit with direct tear-gas fire from the APC. The shot hit his press vest and he was uninjured. A video camera placed above a building in the area captured the incident.  The link for the video as posted on youtube is (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD20Sm6pVIo&feature=youtu.be ).     

The GCHR expresses serious concern at the deliberate targeting of journalists by the Ministry of Interior during peaceful protests in Bahrain. The GCHR believes strongly that journalists are targeted solely in order to hinder their efforts aimed at documenting the massive human rights violations that are committed by the security forces.

The GCHR urges the authorities in Bahrain to:

1. Immediately and unconditionally stop targeting journalists who are doing their jobs professionally to deliver the truth to the international community;
2. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders, including journalists, in Bahrain are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment. 

The GCHR respectfully reminds you that the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998, recognises the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders, their right to freedom of association and to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals. We would particularly draw your attention to to Article 6 (c): “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: (c) To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters“, and to Article 12 (2): “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present declaration.”