Unprecedented Crime by Bahrain's Al Khalifa Regime: 60 Shia Clerics Face Imminent Conviction on Baseless Charges

Manama: According to Raaz News | as Bahrain's High Criminal Court prepares to issue its verdict in a case involving 69 defendants, including 60 Shia clerics, reports of torture, forced confessions, and violations of the defendants' rights to defense have sparked a wave of human rights concerns.

At the same time, Sheikh Isa Qassim, in a call to support religious scholars and an emphasis on maintaining a peaceful approach, has urged the Bahraini people to stand against fabricated accusations and injustice, and protest gatherings have been held in various regions of the country.

Bahrain stands on the threshold of one of the darkest chapters of its history — the handling of judicial cases with baseless accusations against Shia clerics; a case whose dimensions extend beyond the charges brought in court to the question of religious freedom, the rights of the accused, and the government's hostility toward the country's Shia community.

According to reports from human rights organizations in Bahrain, the High Criminal Court was scheduled to issue its verdict on Sunday, November 8, 2026, in the case of 69 defendants, including 60 Shia clerics and nine individuals associated with them. Of these, 56 are in custody — 47 clerics and nine others associated with the case — while 13 clerics are being tried in absentia.

The families and lawyers of the defendants have rejected the charges, insisting that Bahraini authorities are attempting to turn religious activities and beliefs into a security case. Human rights reports have also warned against using evidence related to religious education, religious books, religious funds, and the communications of religious scholars as incriminating documentation.

Following a wave of protests and popular gatherings in support of the detained clerics and opposition to the judicial process against them, Bahraini media reported that the verdict session in the case of 60 Shia scholars has been postponed to November 22. This decision was taken as, simultaneously with the court session, Al Khalifa regime security forces were deployed around the courthouse and the routes leading to it.

Torture, Forced Confessions, and Concerns over Fair Trial Violations

As the time for the verdict approaches, 20 international and regional human rights organizations (from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy) have expressed grave concern in a joint statement over "torture, ill-treatment, and forced confessions" and "grave violations of fair trial guarantees."

The statement raised serious allegations of torture and ill-treatment of detainees, extraction of confessions under pressure, detention without effective access to family, and the holding of closed sessions. These organizations have called on Bahraini authorities to conduct independent and impartial investigations into allegations of torture and to exclude any confessions obtained through pressure and ill-treatment from the judicial process.

According to documentation provided by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), some defendants have spoken of prolonged forced standing, extended blindfolding and handcuffing, sleep deprivation, and threats of physical and sexual violence against themselves and their family members.

The institute's report also states that some detainees were held for a period in unknown locations and were unable to inform anyone of their place of detention. A number of defendants also said they were pressured to sign lengthy statements without having the opportunity to read their content.

Concerns are not limited to the manner of detention and interrogation. According to human rights organizations, defense lawyers have also faced restrictions in effectively accessing case documents and evidence and have not been able to obtain copies of the case files. Their request for the physical presence of the defendants in court was also not accepted.

The organizations signing the statement have emphasized that such conditions can severely undermine the right to an effective defense and the fundamental principles of a fair trial. They have called for the release of those arbitrarily detained and for an end to prosecutions related to peaceful religious activities.

Sheikh Isa Qassim's Call: Supporting the Scholars While Maintaining a Peaceful Approach

Amid these developments, Sheikh Isa Qassim, one of the most prominent religious leaders of Bahrain's Shia community, issued a statement on Friday calling on the people of his country to stand alongside the clerics facing contested accusations and trial.

He considered supporting religious scholars a national and moral duty and emphasized that all people, without exception — with the slogan "The entire nation stands with the scholars" — must be responsible for defending the standing, dignity, and well-being of these clerics.

Sheikh Isa Qassim warned: If the path of justice is set aside and fabricated and defamatory accusations become the basis for dealing with the scholars, the responsibility for the physical and psychological consequences inflicted upon them will rest with those who remain silent in the face of this situation.

However, he emphasized the necessity of maintaining a peaceful and lawful approach and called on the people to strive, using all reasonable and lawful means, to protect the health, dignity, and standing of religious scholars. According to him, the calm and peaceful approach has always been a characteristic of these scholars' conduct and should not be abandoned.

Protests in Various Regions of Bahrain; Demanding an End to the Trial of the Clerics

Simultaneously with this call, reports indicate the holding of gatherings and protest marches in several regions of Bahrain.

The Pars Today news outlet, citing IRNA, reported that Bahraini citizens came out on Friday evening in the areas of Al-Daraz, Karabad, Al-Markh, Abu Saiba, Samahij, Karana, Al-Hajar, Shahrakan, and Sitra Island, gathering in support of the detained clerics and in protest against their trial.

Protesters, chanting slogans in support of the imprisoned scholars, demanded an end to the judicial process and condemned what they saw as targeting the Shia community and turning the case into a sectarian trial.

According to the same report, these gatherings were held as security measures and the presence of security forces increased in the streets and various regions of Bahrain. Reports published by other media also indicate the expansion of protests following the arrest of Shia clerics and youth.