Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
595. The MoI continued its efforts to restore order in Bahrain. Police
patrols were deployed to a number of neighbourhoods to disperse protests,
reopen roads and remove checkpoints. These police continued to surround
and seal the entries into districts and neighbourhoods like Sitra, Sanabis, Al-
Khamis, Karbabad and many parts of Hamad Town and Issa Town.
596. Police continued to operate checkpoints on many of the main roads,
where cars and individuals were searched. Personal property, such as laptop
computers, mobile phones and cameras, continued to be seized and searched
for anti-government material. Individuals arrested at these checkpoints were
transferred to the nearest police stations, where they were detained and
subjected to forms of mistreatment similar to those reported in earlier days.
597. The GFBTU announced the suspension of the general strike it had
called for earlier. A statement issued by the union clarified that it had made
the decision on the basis of assurances from senior official sources that
assaults against workers would cease, and that their harassment in the
workplace would not be allowed.
598. The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the
United Nations in New York submitted a letter of protest to the United
Nations Secretary General concerning Iranian intervention in the internal
affairs of Bahrain. The Consul-General of Bahrain in Jeddah also submitted a
similar letter to the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
599. The overall security situation in Bahrain continued to improve as
more roads were opened and public services at most government offices and
private business activity returned to normal.
600. A number of isolated acts of violence were reported in some areas.
Examples of these incidents included small fires lit in garbage dumpsters in an
effort to block roads, Molotov cocktails thrown at some buildings and acts of
vandalism against public and private property. During the day, a number of
individuals reported receiving threats to their lives from unidentified persons.
Many of these threats were directed at Bahraini and foreign employees of
government security agencies, including the MoI and the BDF.
601. Meanwhile, police patrols continued to enforce the ban on protests in
the various cities and villages of Bahrain. Riot police dispersed groups of
individuals believed to be participating in protests in a number of locations,
including Al-Khamis, Damistan, Sanabis, Al-Ekr Al-Sharky, Sitra and Bani
Jamra. Police checkpoints also continued to search persons and vehicles for
anti-government material.
602. Mr Bassem Al-Hamer was appointed Minister of Housing and Social
Development, while Minister Dr Fatima Al-Baloushi was appointed acting
Minister of Health.
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