BFHR: Following Ashura, the Ja‘fari Endowments Directorate Restricts Commemorations Marking the Martyrdom of Imams Al-Hasan and Al-Ridha (peace be upon them)

As part of its monitoring of the Bahraini authorities’ systematic policy of imposing restrictions on the Shi‘a community—a policy that has intensified since the outbreak of the US aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran—the Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR) notes the Ja‘fari Endowments Directorate’s full involvement in implementing these security measures in accordance with directives issued by the Ministry of Interior.

On Tuesday, 21 July 2026, shortly before the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imams Al-Hasan and Al-Ridha (peace be upon them), the Directorate issued an online circular requiring religious gatherings and commemorative ceremonies to be held exclusively inside ma’tams (Shi‘a mourning halls). It also prohibited mourning processions, ordered external loudspeakers to be switched off, and required all religious events to end by midnight.
As of the date of this statement, BFHR has documented that 53 ma’tams had announced the cancellation of their mourning processions, clearly indicating the expanding scope of the restrictions imposed on the observance of religious rites.

BFHR recalls that this is not the first measure of its kind. In a previous statement issued on 10 July 2026, entitled “Ashura Without Processions: Security Measures Raise Concerns over Religious Freedom in Bahrain”, BFHR documented that the Ja‘fari Endowments Directorate had sent text messages to ma’tam officials requiring them to comply with the same restrictions.
These practices form part of the Government of Bahrain’s systematic policy of targeting religious freedoms and restricting the right of Shi‘a citizens to practise their faith. They are clearly incompatible with the guarantees enshrined in Bahrain’s Constitution and represent a complete departure from the religious and social customs that have prevailed in the country for centuries.

BFHR strongly condemns these arbitrary decisions and practices. It stresses that they constitute a clear violation of the international instruments to which Bahrain is a party, particularly Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This includes the freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief through worship and religious observance, individually or in community with others, in public or in private.
These measures are also inconsistent with the guarantees set out in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 30 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights, both of which affirm the right to freedom of religion or belief and the observance of religious rites. They further violate Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right of peaceful assembly, and Article 26 of the same Covenant, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief and affirms the right of all persons to equality before the law and equal protection of the law.

In light of the above, BFHR calls on the Government of Bahrain to:
1.    End all forms of security restrictions imposed on ma’tams, Hussainiyas and religious institutions, and cease summoning or pressuring those responsible for them because of their religious activities. 
2.    Cease treating the peaceful exercise of religious activities and observances as criminal conduct punishable by law. 
3.    Immediately lift all measures and restrictions imposed on religious commemorations and mourning processions, and ensure that citizens are able to practise their religious rites freely, in accordance with Bahrain’s Constitution and the international treaties and conventions to which Bahrain is a party. 
4.    Put an end to manifest discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief and guarantee equal enjoyment of the rights and freedoms relating to the practice of religion or belief for all groups.
5.    Allow international human rights organisations and independent media outlets to monitor and document the situation of freedom of religion or belief in Bahrain. 

BFHR also calls on the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association to closely monitor and assess these developments, and to document the violations affecting Bahrain’s Shi‘a community, so that these violations may be raised during the review of Bahrain’s compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. BFHR further urges the mandate holders to engage with the Bahraini authorities and press them to respect Bahrain’s international human rights obligations.

Bahrain Forum for Human Rights
22 July 2026