Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
Qasr Street at the entry to Ras Ruman at around 03:00. A few hours later,
reports indicated that a large truck was used to deny entry to the Buri District.
Meanwhile, it was reported that two buses were used at 07:20 to block the
entry into Road 1 in Sitra. Later that morning, a group of around 30 persons
was reported to have blocked the roads in the vicinity of the Ibn Sina Medical
Centre in Ras Ruman and assaulted passers-by.
512. Reports indicated that by noon groups of unidentified individuals
were stopping and searching cars at a checkpoint at the entry to the Al-
Ma’ameer district. Meanwhile, in Al-Muharraq a roadblock was set up near
Akher Forsa to search cars and individuals attempting to enter the area. In
A’Ali, a checkpoint was set up by individuals at around 12:30 in the vicinity
of the A’Aali residential complex. Two other checkpoints were reported at
the entry to the Saar District and on the Zeid bin ‘Emira Road at the entrance
to the Al Malikiya District.
513. At various points during the day, trucks and other vehicles were
reported to have been seen transporting what appeared to be gas cylinders to
the vicinity of the GCC Roundabout and the Bahrain Financial Harbour.
Otherwise, protesters continued to flock to the GCC Roundabout, where many
denounced the invitation extended to the GCC-JSF and continued to call for
the removal of the regime. The total number of protesters at the roundabout
during the day reached around 15,000.
514. Throughout the morning and afternoon hours, clashes occurred
between individuals and police units in Sitra. Civilians, mainly young men
and teenagers, gathered in various areas of Sitra to either organise antigovernment
rallies or set up checkpoints and roadblocks to deny police patrols
access to that district. Police patrols were dispatched to the area to clear
roads, disperse demonstrators and restore law and order to the area. Police
used sound bombs, tear gas and shotgun rounds during these clashes.
515. At 13:00, a large group of individuals was reported to be blocking
traffic and searching vehicles in the area adjacent to the Development Bank on
Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah Road. Later, persons from neighbouring areas,
including Al-Ekr Al-Sharky and Al-Ma’ameer, joined the individuals gathered
in Sitra. Police were ordered to disperse these demonstrators. During this
operation, police officer Ahmed Rashid Al-Murisi was attacked and run over
by two men driving a private vehicle. Mr Al-Murisi was severely injured and
was pronounced dead later that afternoon at BDF Hospital. 252 Two other
police officers sustained severe injuries when they were run over by a private
vehicle. Later, at 15:15, another police officer was injured when he was hit by
a car on Road 1 in Sitra.
516. As police continued to disperse demonstrators and to clear roadblocks
and checkpoints set up in the vicinity of Road 1 in Sitra, clashes occurred
between police and a number of individuals. These clashes led to the death of
Mr Ahmed Farhan Al-Farhan. While the exact circumstances of this case are
the subject of an ongoing investigation by the MoI, police reports claimed that
252 See Chapter VI Section A.
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