Bahrain Ashura 2026: Unprecedented Security Restrictions and Targeting of Religious Rituals

Bahrain Press Association (21 June 2026): The Bahrain Press Association has observed an escalation in the security restrictions imposed on the Ashura season of 2026 in Bahrain, amid extensive measures targeting religious speakers, religious chanters (reciters), mourning halls (ma’atam), Ashura processions, and activities associated with the occasion. These measures reflect a growing tendency to subject the practice of religious rituals to strict political, security, and supervisory considerations.

These measures do not appear to be isolated from the broader context that has developed since 2011, during which the Ashura season has gradually transformed from a religious and cultural occasion with a broad community presence into a permanent point of contention between security authorities and citizens from the Shi’a community seeking to practice the religious rituals associated with the occasion.

Information documented by the Association indicates that the current season constitutes one of the most restrictive Ashura seasons in recent years, as official measures have evolved from targeting the physical manifestations of the occasion through the removal of banners and signs to direct intervention in the content of religious discourse and the cultural and social sphere associated with it.

Judicial Prosecutions and Pre-Emptive Arrests

The Association documented the arrest of no fewer than 48 religious clerics and 5 religious chanters during the period preceding the Ashura season. Most of them were included in security-related cases linked to what the authorities describe as the “Ideology of Wilayat al-Faqih.” The measures included the publication of photographs of a number of detainees, the freezing of their bank accounts, and the confiscation of funds and personal belongings belonging to them. As a result, a number of influential religious figures were effectively excluded from participating in this year’s Ashura commemorations.

The Association also documented the prevention of at least 19 religious speakers and chanters from participating in Hussaini gatherings and mourning events this year through direct telephone calls or security summonses, without the presentation of judicial decisions or written legal documents explaining the reasons for the ban or its duration. A number of those targeted were compelled to sign written undertakings prohibiting them from reciting or delivering sermons, while some were informed that the bans imposed on them would remain in effect for a full year.

These measures raise serious concerns regarding the institutionalization of unlawful forms of prior censorship over religious discourse, based on preventing or restricting participation before any alleged violation has occurred or any judicial ruling has been issued.

Restrictions on Processions and Public Space

The Association documented unprecedented restrictions on the movement of mourning processions and public activities associated with the season, including preventing certain processions from entering public streets in the capital, Manama, during the first days of the season. Mandatory and fixed times were also imposed for the conclusion of religious gatherings and mourning activities, alongside restrictions on raising religious flags and banners outside the boundaries of mourning halls, as well as prohibitions on displaying images of certain religious scholars and religious figures in public spaces.

These measures represent a continuation of recurring policies witnessed during previous seasons, including the removal of banners, flags, and black displays associated with the occasion.

In the same context, the administrations of a number of mourning halls and Hussainiyas received directives and warnings concerning the content of sermons, elegies, and mourning programs, according to the Association’s documentation. These warnings included cautioning against addressing certain historical, intellectual, or political issues.

Such restrictions limit the traditional religious and cultural role of the Hussaini pulpit and impose prior censorship on the religious discourse associated with the occasion, thereby negatively affecting freedom of religious and cultural expression. The restrictions also extended to the digital sphere and commercial activities connected to the season. The Association documented the targeting of online stores that offered products and clothing bearing religious phrases associated with the occasion, resulting in the detention of a number of citizens in connection with these activities.

The Bahrain Press Association considers the totality of these measures, which coincided with repeated arrests of a large number of Shi’a citizens, to raise serious concerns regarding Bahrain’s commitment to guaranteeing freedom of religion and belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of peaceful assembly, as protected under Article 22 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as its international obligations under Articles 18 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Furthermore, the imposition of prior restrictions on religious speakers and chanters, and intervention in the content of sermons and religious activities, is inconsistent with international standards, which require that any restrictions on fundamental rights be necessary, proportionate, and prescribed by clear legal provisions.

Based on the foregoing, the Bahrain Press Association calls upon the Bahraini authorities to:

Immediately revoke all bans imposed on religious speakers and chanters and allow them to participate in religious gatherings and activities without arbitrary restrictions.
End the policy of security summonses and coercive undertakings related to the practice of religious rituals.
Release all detainees held in connection with their religious activities or peaceful expression and guarantee all of their legal rights.
Lift the restrictions imposed on processions, mourning halls, and activities associated with the Ashura season.
End prior censorship of the content of sermons, elegies, and religious activities.
Respect the independence of mourning halls, Hussainiyas, and religious and civil institutions, and refrain from subjecting them to security dictates or considerations.
Treat Ashura observances as part of the religious and cultural heritage of Bahraini society, ensure their protection and respect, and adopt an approach based on safeguarding religious freedoms and facilitating their practice rather than targeting them and punishing those who organize or participate in them.