MANAMA — Bahraini security forces detained at least nine citizens in a new wave of raids across Shia-populated villages in recent days, as human rights organizations document a widening crackdown ahead of Bahrain’s scheduled review by the UN Human Rights Committee in October.
According to family sources cited by independent outlet Manama Post, the arrests occurred in the villages of Al-Dair, Samahij, Al-Duraz, Bani Jamra, and Abu Saiba. 
Those detained include Yousuf al-Muhandis, Manaf Jassim, Muhammad al-Haj, Sajjad Muhammed Abdul Majid, Ali Al-Ajmi, Ahmed Hassan al-Shihabi, Muhammad Hisham, Nasrallah Shaker Mansour, and Muhammad Zaid — the latter re-arrested just three days after his release.
The detentions are part of what rights groups describe as a systematic campaign targeting Shia Muslims in Bahrain, which has intensified since the outbreak of regional hostilities in March 2026. 
Authorities have arrested hundreds of citizens, including prominent Shia clerics and seminary professors, and stripped 69 individuals of their citizenship, including children, on allegations of loyalty to Iran.
According to documentation submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee, Bahraini authorities registered 825 cases of arbitrary detention and 374 summonses between January and August 2026. 
A joint report by the Bahrain Human Rights Forum and the International Center for the Support of Rights and Freedoms specifically documented the arrest of 59 Shia clerics between March and June 2026, including 44 detained in a single day on May 9 following raids on their homes.
The crackdown has extended to religious expression. In September, a Bahraini court sentenced prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Abdulnabi al-Nashaba to one year in prison on charges human rights groups describe as fabricated. 
Al-Nashaba was arrested on August 19 without a judicial warrant after his home was raided in Al-Zahra. Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim, Bahrain’s leading opposition cleric, issued a statement warning that the Al Khalifa regime is effectively nullifying divine legislation by subjecting religious rites to government permits.
The measures have also targeted civil society. Naji Fateel, a human rights defender released under a 2024 royal pardon after serving over 11 years, was re-arrested on August 18 without a warrant over outstanding financial penalties from a prior case, raising concerns about the weaponization of civil judgments to re-imprison activists.
Restrictions on Shia religious institutions have widened, including the management of Jaafari endowments and Hussainiya gatherings. Some 53 Hussainiyas reported restrictions on holding mourning processions in July 2026. 
Bahrain’s Civil Defense Council banned demonstrations in March 2026, citing public safety, and authorities criminalized online discussion of regional events. 
Human Rights Watch reported that over 300 people were detained between March and April 2026, including minors, for expressing opinions about the conflict or participating in peaceful demonstrations.
The measures have drawn international scrutiny. The UN Human Rights Committee is scheduled to review Bahrain’s record at its 146th session from October 19 to November 6, 2026.