[The following press release was released by Bahrain Watch on 19 April 2012.]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: bill@bahrainwatch.org
Twitter: @bhwatch
April 19, 2012
A DANGEROUS ESCALATION: AT LEAST 11 SHOTGUN INJURIES ON 18 APRIL 2012
Bahrain Watch Identifies Cyprus, UK, and Italian Birdshot, and Other Live Ammunition
[Manama] Activist group Bahrain Watch has observed a dramatic escalation in the use of birdshot and live ammunition by police against protesters over the past week, as well as a marked increase in related injuries. Many individuals are reported injured in the back, raising serious questions about whether police are using proportional force and are discharging their firearms only as a last resort, as required by Bahrain’s new police code of conduct. Meanwhile, new video shows policemen laughing as they repeatedly beat an arrestee with their shotguns, the result of continuing impunity.
Bahrain Watch has identified six birdshot manufacturers, and four manufacturers of live ammunition whose products have been used in Bahrain. The widespread use of these types of ammunition to control protests and riots makes Bahrain an international pariah in policing.
What is Birdshot?
Broadly, ammunition for shotguns is referred to as “shot,” and consists of pellets of a certain material inside a cartridge. Larger pellets are referred to as “buckshot,” whereas smaller pellets are called “birdshot.” Within the category of birdshot, shot is assigned a number to indicate the diameter of the pellets. Bahrain Watch has observed two sizes of metallic birdshot in Bahrain: #2 birdshot (pellet diameter of about 3.8mm), and #8 birdshot (pellet diameter of about 2.2mm). Typically, a #2 birdshot cartridge would have on the order of 100 pellets, whereas a #8 birdshot cartridge would have on the order of 500 pellets, assuming pellets are made of lead or a similar metal. Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior denies that it uses #2 birdshot.
Birdshot is typically used for hunting animals, or for clay shooting, where competitors shoot to break flying stone discs. Metallic birdshot is almost never used for riot control. When shotguns are employed for riot control in other countries, officers typically shoot “less-lethal” ammunition such as “beanbag rounds.” In contrast, Bahrain’s police primarily use cartridges specifically designed and marketed for hunting or clay shooting. Eleven civilians were killed with birdshot in Bahrain during 2011 according to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and Human Rights Watch, and scores have been injured throughout 2011 and 2012.
April 18, 2012: Bahrain’s Birdshot Night
While Bahrain Watch has observed near-continuous use of birdshot since the start of the uprising in February 2011, reports of birdshot use and injuries have dramatically spiked in the last week. On 12 and 13 April 2012, Bahrain Watch noted an abnormally large number of images of shotgun cartridges posted by activists from at least seven areas around Bahrain (A’ali, Bani Jamrah, Sehla, Ma’ameer, Sitra, and Duraz). On 13 April, an individual was seriously injured by birdshot at a funeral, and remains in the hospital.
On 18 April 2012, Bahrain Watch noted an unusually large number of images and videos of birdshot injuries from at least five areas around Bahrain. Reports on Twitter claimed up to 23 were injured by shotgun pellets on the night of 18 April. No medical records exist, as birdshot victims are treated in private homes; presenting at a hospital with a birdshot injury may mean arrest. Through pictures posted by village news networks and activists, Bahrain Watch has seen at least 11 of these injured individuals.
Bahrain Watch first performs reverse image searches on all posted images to validate their recency To identify distinct injuries, images from a given village are compared with each other.
Bahrain Watch stresses that the number of injuries is likely to be higher than 11, but cannot determine the number of additional distinct individuals injured. A description of the observed injuries from 18 April follows.
In Sanabis, where protesters chanted anti-regime slogans during a visit by Bahrain’s Crown Prince earlier that day, multiple injuries were reported in the evening. A village news agency in Sanabis posted a photo album of injuries. Among other birdshot injuries, the album shows:
- An individual with more than 100 pellets in the back of his legs (right leg) (left leg).
- An individual with more than 45 pellets in his back, also seen in this video (0:24 - 0:34).
- An individual with more than 20 pellets in the back of his legs (right leg) (left leg), also seen in this video (0:05 - 0:21).
- An individual with approximately 14 pellets in the left side of his body.
In the village of Abu Quwah, photos show:
- An individual with more than 80 pellets in what appears to be his back.
- An individual with more than 30 pellets in his back.
On the island of Sitra, photos and videos show:
- An individual with more than 30 pellets mainly on the right side of his body. 16 pellets are visible in this still image, and the remaining pellets are seen in this video (0:05 - 0:29).
- An individual with approximately 18 pellets mainly on the right side of his body, also seen in this.