Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 212-633-4150, @strimel
(New York) – Amnesty International today condemned a string of bomb blasts in Bahrain’s capital that killed two people and injured a third and demanded an independent probe to determine who is responsible.
Monday’s attacks, reportedly caused by home-made devices, occurred days after the government banned all protests, rallies, and opposition gatherings.
According to the Interior Ministry, one of the men died after kicking a device, which triggered an explosion in the Gudaibiya district of Manama, while a second individual succumbed to injuries sustained from a blast near a cinema. A third explosion in Adliya wounded another man.
These acts of violence against civilians “show a total disregard for human rights and the basic principles of humanity,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
“The Bahraini authorities have already announced that they are launching an investigation into the attacks. The authorities must ensure that an independent, impartial and thorough investigation is conducted and that those responsible are brought to justice in proceedings that comply with internationally recognized standards for fair trial and with no possibility of the death penalty.”
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.