TEHRAN (FNA)- International human rights groups blasted the Bahraini regime’s crowd-dispersal policies following the release of a leaked government purchase request for massive amounts of riot control weaponry supplies.


Bahrain’s Ministry of the Interior issued a tender in June, seeking supplies of 1.6 million tear gas canisters and 145,000 stun grenades, according to the document obtained by the UK-based rights group, Bahrain Watch.

The number of tear gas shells the Saudi-backed government in Bahrain intends to purchase is greater than the country’s population of 1.2 million, the Islam Times reported.

The watchdog has alleged South Korean companies could be most likely bidders, taking into account they have a record of supplying tear gas to Bahrain.

South Korea’s DaeKwang Chemical acknowledged that it exported around 1 million units of tear gas to Bahrain between 2011 and 2012, according to a senior executive, Kim Jong-bae, as sited in European press reports.

Bahrain Watch has launched an online campaign, urging internet users to bombard the companies exporting tear gas to Bahrain and the authorities approving such sales with condemnatory emails.

“Tear gas is supposed to be 'non-lethal', but Bahrain's police use large amounts of tear gas in residential areas, even when there are no protests, and sometimes shoot tear gas directly into houses. The police also fire the canisters directly at people's heads, which has caused serious injuries and deaths,” the text of the message reads.

Signatories to the message have been welcome to share their own stories of tear gas exposure.

By Fars News Agency

 

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