Bahrain executions spark violent protests

The three Shiite men faced the firing squad, six days after a court upheld their death sentences over a bomb attack in March 2014, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement carried by BNA state news agency. 

Bahrain, which has been ruled by the Al-Khalifa dynasty for more than two centuries, has a majority Shiite population which has long complained of marginalisation. 

It has been rocked by sporadic unrest since March 2011 when security forces brutally crushed an Arab Spring-inspired uprising demanding reforms and a constitutional monarchy. The announcement of the executions triggered protests in Shiite villages, where demonstrators blocked roads with burning tyres and police retaliated by firing tear gas, according to posts on social media. Pictures shared online by activists also showed relatives of those executed weeping over their deaths. 

Authorities in Bahrain do not permit international news agencies to cover events independently. The executions came a day after demonstrations broke out across Shiite villages following rumours that the authorities were going to put them to death. 

They are the first in six years in the Gulf kingdom, according to London-based human rights group, Reprieve, which had warned on Saturday against the move. 

“It is nothing short of an outrage - and a disgraceful breach of international law - that Bahrain has gone ahead with these executions,” Reprieve director Maya Foa said in a statement.