Bahraini boy killed in protest

August 31, 2011 Al Jazeera



Opposition group blames police after 14-year-old boy dies on being hit by

tear gas canister in oil hub.



A 14-year-old Bahraini boy has died after being hit by a tear gas canister

during clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces, the

Gulf kingdom's main Shia opposition group al-Wefaq has said.



Activists blamed the police for the death of Ali Jawad Ahmad, who was

among the protesters in the oil hub area of Sitra on Wednesday.



A police official told the state news agency BNA that the incident was

being investigated, without saying how the boy was injured.



Bahrain has been in turmoil for the past few months since protests by the

dominant Shia community broke out, demanding great freedom and political

rights.



More than 30 people have been killed since the protests began in February

inspired by other uprisings across the Arab world.

Click here for more of Al Jazeera's coverage on Bahrain



More than 70 per cent of Bahrain's population is Shia but claim widespread

discrimination by the ruling al-Khalifa Sunni dynasty.



Small scale clashes between police and mostly Shia demonstrators have

become a near nightly event in the tense Gulf nation since authorities

lifted emergency rule in June.



King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has offered compensation to victims of the

crackdowns in February, but says protest-related trials will continue.



In July Bahrain's leaders opened reconciliation talks, but the country's

main Shia party walked out and threatened to stage further protests.



An independent fact-finding panel is investigating alleged rights abuses

in Bahrain and is expected to release its findings at the end of October.







Bahrain activists blame police in boy's death



August 31, 2011 Associated Press



MANAMA, Bahrain — Bahraini security forces clashed with anti-government

protesters after Wednesday morning prayers, and a 14-year-old boy died

after being hit by a police tear gas canister, human rights activists

said.



The activists blamed police for the death of Ali Jawad Ahmad, who was in

the crowd of protesters in the oil hub of Sitra.



The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights cited witnesses as saying the

boy died after being hit by a tear gas canister fired at close range by

police during the demonstration.



Bahraini officials confirmed a 14-year-old was killed but gave no other

details on the possible cause of death.



A statement by the Interior Ministry said there was no reported police

action in Sitra at the time the boy's death was reported. The statement

added that an investigation was ordered and posted a 10,000 dinar

($26,600) reward for information leading to a definitive finding.



Isa Hassan, an uncle of the dead teen, claimed police overreacted when

confronted by a small group of protesters after morning prayers marking

the end of the holy month of Ramadan.



Hassan said the tear gas was fired from about 20 feet (seven meters) away

directly at the protesters.



"They are supposed to lob the canisters of gas, not shoot them at people,"

he said at the funeral for the boy. "Police used it as a weapon."



In a report late Wednesday, Bahrain's official news agency said the

autopsy showed a "neck injury was the cause of (the boy's) death, as there

were fractures in that area causing bleeding around the spinal cord." The

report by the Bahrain News Agency also said that the young protester had

bruises on his chin, face, right hand, pelvic area and knees.



Bahrain has been gripped by clashes between police and Shiite-led

protesters demanding greater rights and political freedoms in the tiny

Gulf nation that is the home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.



More than 30 people have been killed since protests began in February

inspired by other uprisings across the Arab world.



Shiites are the majority in Bahrain but claim widespread discrimination by

the ruling Sunni dynasty. Sunni rulers in the Gulf fear any concessions by

Bahrain's Al Khalifa family to protesters would strengthen the region's

Shiite powerhouse Iran.



Small-scale clashes between police and mostly Shiite demonstrators have

become a near nightly event in the tense Gulf nation since authorities

lifted emergency rule in June.