MANAMA (Dispatches) -- 
Bahraini security forces intensified their crackdown on dissent this week, with protests erupting in the Al-Diraz area west of Manama on Thursday over the detention of Shia clerics, while political prisoners continued a hunger strike for a tenth day amid deteriorating health conditions.
Demonstrators gathered in Al-Diraz on Thursday, chanting slogans and carrying placards condemning what they described as Manama’s repressive policies against the Shia community. 
The protests followed the detention of dozens of Shia religious scholars, with 62 clerics reportedly held, including 60 inside Bahrain and two in the UAE. Al-Wefaq, Bahrain’s main opposition group, called for international intervention to stop the “organized repression” of Shia scholars.
Separately, political prisoners in Building 2 of Jaw Central Prison entered the tenth day of an open hunger strike that began on October 6. More than 70 detainees participated, protesting detention conditions and demanding access to medical care. 
Reports indicate dozens of strikers suffered severe drops in blood sugar, fainting, and health deterioration, with at least 45 collapsing or experiencing medical emergencies. Prison authorities reportedly withheld medication from chronic patients, conditioning treatment on signing pledges to end the strike.
On Sunday, security forces stormed Ward 6, using force against detainees protesting the treatment of hunger strikers. Communication with prisoners was subsequently cut off, raising concerns among families and human rights groups.
The crackdown has escalated sharply since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran erupted in late February 2026. According to CIVICUS, which placed Bahrain on its Watchlist in July, authorities have exploited the war to launch “wide-ranging and ongoing” human rights violations, detaining at least 200 people for social media posts or peaceful protests. Many are held in undisclosed locations without access to lawyers or family.
A UK parliamentary motion tabled on October 12 condemned the “escalating campaign of repression,” citing more than 700 arbitrary arrests, the revocation of citizenship of 69 individuals including 33 children, and the death in custody of Sayed Mohamed Almosawi, whose body bore visible signs of torture. The motion called for targeted sanctions on Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Al-Khalifa.