Bahrain Ministry of Interior admits the attack on the house of Al-Wefaq Secretary General

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Al Wefaq National Islamic Society stated that the Ministry of Interior has officially announced that it is responsible for an operation conducted by masked militias to remove surveillance (security) cameras from the house of Al Wefaq Secretary General. Such an announcement reveals that the regime is abandoning the law and increasingly relying on militias.Such militias have been accused of committing many crimes in numerous incidents across Bahrain. These militias have targeted a number of activists with some citizens even having been killed by them.Al Wefaq stated that the regime is responsible due to its adoption of a militia-style. “All crimes and violations perpetrated by the civilian armed militias, who are mostly backed by the police forces, are of the regime’s responsibility.” Adding, “The civilian militias and the regime forces have committed extrajudicial killings, assassinating activists, home raids, torture, vandalizing properties, and more violations in attempts to terrify citizens. The pattern of these incidents indicates the involvement of the MoI and what is being perpetrated relies on collusion with senior security officials.”“All justifications claimed by the MoI to deny its moral and legal scandals, are not based on laws and go against basic legal principles, and cannot be justified. How could anyone justify climbing on top of a house, without a legal warrant and with masked faces and civilian clothes, at a time when there was no witnesses?” Al Wefaq wondered.Al Wefaq also stated, “Such an act is not compatible with the Code of Contact, which the MoI boasts, rather it confirms that the MoI prefers the militia-style to perform some of its security missions. The Authority is chargeable for any violations and crimes perpetrated by the civilian militias.”The MoI claims that the cameras were fixed to watch the security forces, but the cameras are fixed in a surveillance circuit to watch the house, due to the house having been targeted with direct attacks on a number of occasions, by the Ministry of Interior.Culture of ImpunityThe justification of the MoI is meant to acquit its militias from any convictions or to hide any orders made by high officials that the cameras might have recorded.Al Wefaq pointed out that the Secretary General’s house has been targeted, with direct attacks by the police, a number of times. However any investigations conducted by the official parties will lack credibility.The regime forces were reported to have targeted the house of the Secretary General in the early morning of 10th June 2012, the MoI did not make any comment on the incident at that time (the incident having been filmed by the security cameras.)On the 22nd June 2012, MoI personnel’s were filmed trying to assassinate the Secretary General with other political leaders by firing at them from a close range. On that incident a citizen sustained a serious head injury as the SG sustained back and shoulder injuries.In February 2012 the house of the Secretary General was attacked twice and on 14th March 2013 600 canisters of lethal toxic tear gas were counted to have been fired in front of his home./129