Bahrain Mirror-Exclusive: With the onset of 2017, the Ministry of Interior announced that 10 individuals fled the prison. Inmate Rida Al-Ghasra and 9 others escaped. Therefore, the prison administration and two senior officials from the Interior Minister were referred to investigation.

The interior ministry announced in a statement on January 1, 2017 that a group of 4-5 individuals carried out an armed attack with automatic rifles and pistols against the Reformation and Rehabilitation Center in Jaw at about 5:30 a.m. on Sunday (January 1, 2017) that led to the death of a policeman identified as Abdulsalam Saif Ahmad, and the injury of another policeman during confrontations. Ten inmates convicted in "terrorist" cases escaped; they are:

1. Ahmad Mohammad Saleh Mohammad Al-Shaikh
Age: 26
Sentence: 73 years

2. Ammar Abdullah Isa Abdulhussein
Age: 28
Sentence: Life and two years

3. Mohammad Ibrahim Mulla Radhi Al-Tooq
Age: 26
Sentence: 28 years

4. Hassan Abdullah Isa Abdulhussein
Age: 24
Sentence: Life

5. Isa Musa Abdullah Hassan
Age: 24
Sentence: Life

6. Hussein Atiyah Mohammad Saleh
Age: 37
Sentence: Life

7. Sadiq Jafar Salman Hussain
Age: 27
Sentence: Life and 41 years

8. Abdulhussain Juma'a Hassan Ahmad Al-Onaisi
Age: 31
Sentence: Life

9. Rida Abdullah Isa Al-Ghasra
Age: 29
Sentence: Life and 79 years

10. Hussein Jassim Isa Jassim Al-Bana'a
Age: 27
Sentence: 43 years

The security authorities deployed checkpoints across Bahrain in an unprecedented way to search for al-Ghasra and his companions. This led to hindering the traffic in the country for over a week. The forces also raided several areas, however, they failed to find the fugitives.

On another note, the authorities carried out an execution sentence on January 15 against the 3 death row convicts to send a message that it intends to use the worst and most brutal ways in confronting everyone. The detainees who were executed are: Abbas Al-Samie, Sami Mushaima and Ali Al-Singace.

Meanwhile, the authorities tightened their security grip to look for the 10 inmates everywhere.
They also arrested a number of relatives of the fugitives; 6 members of their families were detained and remained in prison until March 2017.

One month and 10 days after the escape, and 6 days after the 6th anniversary of the 14th February uprising, Rida Al-Ghasra (29 years old), along with Mahmoud Yahya (22 years old) and Mostafa Yousef (35 years old), were martyred, after being shot at by Bahraini security forces, while attempting to leave the country after chasing them in their small boat in the sea. The 3 were martyred and 7 of those on the boat were arrested with 2 of them injured, according to the ministry of interior's statement.

Tariq Al-Hassan, Public Security Forces chief, announced in a press conference some maritime and land security operations conducted by the Ministry to chase wanted individuals.

Moreover, Al-Hassan declared "The joint forces were able at 5:28 morning on February 9, 2017, to monitor a boat in the area south of Khalifa Port. Despite warning it and attempts to stop it, the boat didn't stop, and headed towards the north. This called for pursuing it, and directing maritime patrols to intercept and control it. Meanwhile, the target "boat" initiated fire towards the patrol, and there was a direct response [by firing back] towards the source of firing, in accordance with legal standards set for such cases. The boat was then controlled."

The ministry stressed that each of Rida Al-Ghasra (29 Years old), Mahmoud Yahya (22 years old), and Mostafa Yousef (35 years old), were killed.

During the same operation, the forces arrested each of Mohammad Jassem Mohammad Jassem al-A'bed (28 years old), Hamed Jassem Mohammad Jassem Al-A'bed (28 years old), Hassan Ali Mohammad Fardan Shokor (22 years old), Hani Younes Yousef Ali (21 years old), Ahmad Ali Ahmad Yousef (20 years old), Ali Hassan Ali Saleh (38 years old), and Ahmad Isa Ahmad Isa Al-Mallali (23 years old), who sustained injury and several internal fractures.

Regarding the second operation, the ministry of interior said that Ali Mohammad Ali Mohammad Hakim Al-Arab (23 years old),who is accused in a "terrorist attack that resulted in the killing of officer Hisham Hassan Mohammad Al Hammadi, in Bilad Al-Qadeem, was arrested. Al-Arab was also a suspect in shooting a security patrol near Bani Jamra, which led to severely injuring a security officer. In addition, the ministry arrested Ahmad Mohammad Saleh Al-Sheikh (26 years old), who was among the fugitives who escaped Jaw Central Prison.

The Ministry of Interior said that search operations and investigations are ongoing to arrest the 8 who were able to escape Jaw Prison.

The martyrdom of Al-Gharsa and his companions led to crowded protests that included clashes between the protesters and security forces that brutally confronted them.

The government's harsh response was not only on the protests, as the authorities carried out vast arrests in which they arrested number of individuals, including women. Among the arrested were Sheikh Mohammad Saleh Al-Qashaami, his son and daughter, as well as Mohammad Hakim Al-Arab, whom the authorities decaled wanted over security cases. Media outlets published his photos in January 2017 along with 3 other women. The Ministry of Interior also published their photos, defamed them and accused them of joining the cells that the ministry repeatedly announce.

As the Bahraini street burst, Amnesty said that Bahrain is at a tipping point. The echo of the incident was not normal, vast protests were staged, in which protesters held photos for the martyrs and chanted slogans against King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, whom the opposition holds responsible for the deterioration of security conditions and human rights violations in the country.
On Sunday (February 12, 2017), the Bahraini authorities buried the corpses of martyrs Rida Al-Ghasra, Mahmoud Yahya and Mostafa Yousef in Sheikh Maytham Al-Bahraini cemetery amid strict security measures.

The martyrs' families received a phone call in the morning asking them to come to Al-Houra police station. The security authorities held in their custody two members of each family and transferred them to the cemetery to attend the funeral procession that was limited to a few people.

Bahraini scholars said in a statement that the burial was not conducted in accordance with religious teachings, in relation to prayers and the funeral procession. The statement noted that family representatives were forced to dig the graves of the three martyrs, in violation of religious provisions.

Regime forces imposed a security cordon around the cemetery, while other troops were deployed inside of it, and prevented the families' representatives from taking pictures.

The families of martyrs gathered in one of the streets near the cemetery to demand their participation in the funeral. However, regime forces threatened to use force against them if they did not leave.

Citizens did not have the chance to hold funeral procession for the martyrs. Instead, they heavily appeared in different Bahraini areas to offer condolences to the families of the martyrs, who were called "Freedom Martyrs", in Zainulabidine Mosque, in Bani Jamra village.

The official death certificates issued by the forensic physician in the Ministry of Health stated that the freedom martyrs passed away due to "shots". Meanwhile, the martyrs received shots in different places.

According to the death certificates, the three martyrs died "inside Bahrain's territorial waters east of Bahrain" at about 5 a.m., on Thursday (February 9, 2017).

The death certificates signed by Forensic Medicine Department Head Dr. Kamal Al-Saadany announced that martyr Rida Al-Ghasra (29 years) died as a result of gunshots in "the head, chest and pelvis". However, martyr Mostafa Yousif was martyred due to shots in his chest, while martyr Mahmoud Yousif passed away due to shots in chest and head. The certificates did not mention the number of shots fired at the martyrs.

The martyrs passed away and were buried. However, sheikh Maytham cemetery remained cordoned until April 19, 2017. Only then could citizens embrace the soils of martyrs who sought freedom, and achieved it their own way.

Arabic Version