Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Chapter IV — Narrative of Events of February and March 2011
603. The Ministry of Education announced that it established committees
to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the disruption of
classes in schools during the events of the previous weeks. These committees
also examined violations of the civil service regulations committed by
employees of the Ministry of Education.
604. The BDF announced a further reduction of the curfew hours it had
imposed in certain areas of Manama. The curfew now began at 22:00 and
ended at 04:00.
605. That night, it was announced that five Lebanese resident workers had
been arrested on suspicion of links with Hezbollah. Gulf Air and Bahrain Air
also suspended flights to Beirut.
Thursday, 24 March 2011
606. Demonstrations were reported in a number of areas of Bahrain during
the day, including Al-Mukharaqa, A’Ali, Bilad Al-Qadeem, Al Diraz, Ras
Ruman, Nuwaidrat, Al-Sahla, Sitra, Sanabis and Juffair. The size of these
demonstrations ranged from tens of individuals to almost 300 individuals.
These protests were generally confronted by riot police who used tear gas,
sound bombs, rubber bullets and shotguns to disperse the protesters.
607. Workers at various businesses reported being subjected to harassment
by anti-government colleagues who were calling for civil disobedience to
protest government measures to end demonstrations in Bahrain.
608. A number of employees of government security services also reported
being the target of retributive assaults by unidentified individuals.
609. Shia residents of Al-Beseeten reported that markings were put on
their houses by unidentified individuals in what seemed to be threats of
attacks.
610. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Sheikh Khalid bin
Ahmed Al Khalifa, gave a televised interview to the Al-Arabiya news channel
in which he focused on claims of the involvement of Hezbollah in the
situation in Bahrain. The Foreign Minister made the following observations:
a. The decision to halt flights between Manama and Beirut was
not aimed at the people of Lebanon, but was due to the threats
directed at Bahrain from certain Lebanese elements that are
calling for violence and sectarianism in Bahrain.
b. There is no crisis between the governments of Bahrain and
Lebanon. Rather, Bahrain presented an official memorandum
to the Government of Lebanon to call on it to bear its
responsibility in light of the threats directed at Bahrain from
Lebanon.
c. The claims made by the Secretary General of Hezbollah about
the role of the GCC-JSF are “full of lies”. Bahrain considers
that the Government of Lebanon, as the sovereign authority in
that country, bears the responsibility for these statements.
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