Semi-Annual Report of the Bahrain Press Association 2025: A Destructive Law for the Press and 2,037 Violations of Freedom of Expression Since 2011
Bahrain Press Association, London, July 20, 2025: During the first six months of 2025, the Bahrain Press Association documented around 37 cases of violations affecting writers, activists, and online citizens, as well as infringements on religious practices linked to the Ashura commemorations. This highlights the ongoing pattern of security and judicial persecution and harassment of freedom of expression and press freedoms in the country since the popular uprising of February 2011 and the subsequent political and security crisis, with total documented violations reaching approximately 2,037 by the end of June 2025. The charges brought against the targeted citizens during this period included: “Misuse of social media,” “Undermining the fabric of Bahraini society,” “Publishing content contrary to public morals,” “Promoting terrorism,” and “Insulting religious symbols.”
Parliament Passes Amendments That Strike at Journalism
While Bahrain’s media circles had hoped for reforms to improve the press environment, the Bahraini Parliament shocked the public by approving a draft law that imposes further restrictions on press freedom amid a rising wave of violations. On May 8, 2025, the Parliament voted to pass amendments to Decree Law No. (47) of 2002 on the regulation of press, printing, and publishing, and referred it to the Shura Council, in what was seen as a serious legislative setback to freedom of expression and the press in Bahrain.
Despite repeated calls from Bahraini journalists to enact a modern law that promotes freedoms and provides legal protection for journalists, the amendments reflected the opposite approach, reinstating restrictions and legitimizing the executive authority’s dominance over both traditional and digital media. Although the government claims that these amendments “abolish prison sentences for journalists,” the legal wording reveals a superficial change, as the amendments state that penalties “do not prejudice any harsher punishment stipulated by the Penal Code or any other law,” meaning that journalists are still vulnerable to imprisonment under Penal Code provisions criminalizing criticism of the authorities, publishing “false news,” “insulting authorities,” or “harming national security.”
The draft law also introduces vague terms such as “undermining the higher interests of the state” and “contempt or insult of state institutions,” leaving room for arbitrary interpretation that could be used to shut down newspapers, websites, and revoke licenses at will, particularly by the Ministry of Information, which is granted near-absolute powers of closure, regulation, and enforcement under the amendments.
For the first time, the draft amendments also subject online media to the law by requiring websites that provide media content to obtain an official license, giving existing websites a grace period of no more than six months to comply. The law allows the Ministry of Information to regulate this sector and revoke licenses without judicial oversight, effectively eliminating what remains of internet freedom and turning online media from a free space of expression into one fully controlled by censorship and state authority.
The Bahrain Press Association considers these amendments to be an attempt to reinstate arbitrary “red lines,” placing journalism under direct state authority and turning any independent opinion into a legal threat that could lead to prosecution, closure, or imprisonment. The Association calls on the Shura Council to reject these disastrous amendments and engage in dialogue with civil society organizations to produce a modern media law that balances freedom of expression with responsibility.
Documented Violations
In February 2025, MP Abdulwahid Qarata filed a complaint against lawyer and activist Rashid Al-Binali, accusing him of “verbal assault affecting honor and reputation” following a critical social media post. This is not the first time Al-Binali has been prosecuted for his views, nor is it the first instance of MPs failing to tolerate public criticism. Al-Binali was sentenced by the Lower Criminal Court to two months in prison and a fine of 500 dinars, before the penalty was replaced with an alternative sentence in April 2025. This incident recalls a similar case last year when a municipal councilor caused a journalist to be jailed for criticizing his performance.
In March, religious chanter (rādūd) Mahdi Sahwan was arrested after participating in a mourning ceremony for the Shiite community’s commemoration of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib’s death, during which he recited a poem expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza. Sahwan underwent official interrogation as part of a broader crackdown on any displays of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. This included summoning dozens of citizens to the Cybercrime Directorate, threatening them with punishment for posting opinions on social media, and forcing them to delete their posts under threat.
Authorities also continued to ban sit-ins organized by the Bahrain Anti-Normalization Society, which were held weekly. Requests for protest permits on dates such as May 30, and June 13 and 20 were rejected with various justifications, such as the “title of the event” or “regional circumstances” related to the war on Iran, despite these being peaceful demonstrations organized within the law.
On May 29, the Ministry of Interior arrested two Asian residents after they posted a short video of themselves dancing in the street. They were charged with “misuse of social media” and “publishing acts contrary to public morals,” and sentenced to six months in prison, with their phones confiscated and permanent deportation ordered. This case highlights how “public morals” laws are used as a tool of censorship against even the simplest forms of unconventional social expression.
With the onset of the Israeli-Iranian war, authorities summoned several activists, journalists, and political figures who expressed sympathy for Iran or opposed the war. Among the notable cases was photographer Sayed Baqer Al-Kamil, who was summoned on June 13, interrogated, and released after signing a pledge not to publish. Similar cases targeted activists who voiced support for Iran or its political and religious leaders, showing how freedom of expression is politicized and tied to the state’s official stance.
Crackdown on Ashura Rituals
On June 25, one day before the start of the month of Muharram and the Shiite Ashura season, police forces removed mourning banners from the streets of Al-Duraz village, leading to clashes that resulted in head injuries to citizen Hassan Al-Anfouz, who was hospitalized. On June 27, authorities barred clerics from entering Al-Duraz and imposed a morning blockade on the area, a recurring annual measure.
The same day saw the removal of Ashura banners in Sitra and the arrest of two young men, Qasim Mohammed and Hussain Helal, after summoning them over hanging religious banners. Security forces continued removing Ashura symbols in Southern Sehla and Juffair on June 28, reflecting a systematic crackdown on Shiite citizens’ religious practices without any clear legal justification.
Conclusion
The legislative and on-the-ground developments indicate that 2025 is continuing the trend of previous years in terms of restricting press freedoms and freedom of expression in Bahrain, with a new escalation represented by the passing of a press law that criminalizes criticism of the state and its institutions while imposing full control over digital media and social Media platforms.
The Bahrain Press Association renews its call on Bahraini authorities to reverse this confrontational path and comply with Bahrain’s international human rights obligations and constitutional provisions, including ending arbitrary prosecutions, arrests, and judicial harassment.
The Association also urges the Shura Council (the upper chamber of the legislative authority) not to pass the current version of the press law amendments and to work towards launching a national dialogue to draft a democratic media law that respects the dignity of both journalists and citizens.
The Association reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all political figures, human rights defenders, and civil society activists detained or convicted for carrying out their work or exercising their right to freedom of opinion and expression. It also calls on the country’s political leadership to reinstate Bahraini citizenship to all journalists, politicians, and civil society activists who have been stripped of it, and to seriously address the repercussions of the political and security crisis through genuine national reconciliation efforts.