Saudi-backed Bahraini forces storm, close ‘revolution museum’

Bahraini regime forces have shut down an exhibition dedicated to the revolution against the ruling dictator Al Khalifa family and Manama’s violent crackdown on popular protests.

Security forces stormed the “revolution museum” on Wednesday, two days after the exhibition was opened on by the opposition group al-Wefaq Society in order to document the regime’s brutalities during the three-year uprising.

The museum-style hall displayed photos of the protesters killed in clashes, activists tortured inside prisons and demonstrators running from tear gas.

The Bahraini Interior Ministry issued a statement, saying the exhibition included “incitement material” and that the sponsors of the event could be prosecuted.

The exhibit, which was scheduled to close Saturday, was being held in a Manama building operated by al-Wefaq and was opened by its leader, Ali Salman.

“The theme of the museum irritated authorities as it documents many incident[s] since the uprising in 2011 until now,” said the party’s lawyer, Abdullah al-Shamlawi.

In mid-February 2011, Bahrain was rocked by mass protests demanding political reforms and a constitutional monarchy. But the regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters soon prompted an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family.

Scores have been killed, many of them under torture, while in custody, and thousands more detained since the popular uprising started in the kingdom.

Earlier this month, Amnesty International blamed Bahraini authorities for accusing defendants of ‘terrorism’ and subjecting them to “all manner of violations to end up with a ‘confession’.”

On October 16, the Bahrain Watch group leaked documents showing that the Al Khalifa regime was planning to buy 1.6 million canisters of the material along with some stun grenades.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a number of Bahraini protesters and bystanders died due to the use of tear gas in the tiny Persian Gulf island.