Shia Rights Watch issues its monthly report highlighting the most prominent human rights violations committed against Shia Muslims from December 1st to January 1st, 2026.
This report details various terrorist operations carried out by extremist groups against Shia Muslims, as well as instances of oppression and abuse by certain governments and regimes.
SRW relied on both its own sources and public sources, such as individuals and human rights groups active in the countries where violations occurred.
SRW notes that it refrained from mentioning some violations due to the absence of conclusive evidence, despite being certain of their occurrence in some countries, emphasizing that it does not seek political or profit goals in its work, but rather aims to achieve justice and equality aspired to by human societies.
Countries (Alphabetically):
Afghanistan
12/01/2025 – Arrest of a poet and civil activist:
Security authorities arrested Shia poet and civil activist Sayyid Eskandar Hosseini Bamdad, who was detained by Taliban intelligence services for thirteen days. Shia writers and intellectuals described the arrest as an unjust measure targeting free cultural expression and suppressing creative space in the country.
12/21/2025 – Closure of a cultural center in Kabul:
Local sources in Kabul reported that the Taliban closed the Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) Cultural and Educational Complex located in the “Afshar Dar al-Aman” area, by direct order of the current Minister of Justice, Abdul Hakim Shara’i, despite the center holding all required legal and religious licenses and conducting its academic, cultural, and educational activities officially and in an organized manner.
Pakistan
12/03/2025 – Dozens forcibly disappeared for years:
Human rights sources revealed that more than thirty citizens have been forcibly disappeared under mysterious circumstances for years, calling on official authorities to disclose their fate.
12/20/2025 – Threats to bomb a mosque and Hussainiya in Shah Wakel:
Human rights sources reported that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (a banned terrorist organization) sent a message to the administration of a school in the predominantly Shia area of “Shah Wakel” in Hangu district, threatening an imminent attack. It is noted that Shah Wakel was previously set ablaze by the Taliban nearly two decades ago, resulting in dozens of deaths and the destruction of an Imam Bargah.
Bahrain
12/05/2025 – Ban on unified prayer:
Security authorities imposed a siege and strict security restrictions on the town of Diraz, west of Manama, preventing residents from holding the central Friday prayer for the sixty-first consecutive week.
12/11/2025 – Arrest of two youths for calling for protest:
Security forces arrested two young men on charges of inciting protests demanding an end to arbitrary practices and sectarian policies pursued by the authorities.
12/12/2025 – Ban on unified prayer:
Authorities imposed strict security measures on Diraz and prevented the Friday prayer for the sixty-second consecutive week.
12/12/2025 – Raid on a religious ceremony in Samaheej:
Security forces raided a religious celebration in the Samaheej area east of Manama commemorating the birth anniversary of Lady Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her).
12/17/2025 & 12/24/2025 – Continued ban on prayer:
Authorities continued to prevent Friday prayers in Diraz for the sixty-third and sixty-fourth consecutive weeks.
Syria
12/01/2025 – Discovery of a young man’s body in Jableh countryside:
Residents of the village of “Al-Qalayeh” found the body of Hassan Waheeb Salloum, bearing gunshot wounds and signs of torture, days after his disappearance.
12/02/2025 – Bombing of a religious shrine in Salamiyah:
An armed group detonated the shrine of “Faraj Abu Hayya” in the Al-Sayyadah area in the Salamiyah countryside after desecrating the grave.
12/14/2025 – Assassination of a young man in Al-Tadamon neighborhood:
An armed group assassinated Mohammad Al-Hallani in front of his shop in the Al-Tadamon neighborhood of Damascus.
12/16/2025 – 21/12/2025 – Cemetery desecration:
Villages including Al-Hazmiyah (Homs), Tal Al-Dhahab, Tal Skeen, and Masyaf (Hama) witnessed desecration of cemeteries and destruction of gravestones by armed groups.
12/19/2025 – Sectarian graffiti:
Incendiary and sectarian slogans were documented on building walls in the Sheikh Daher area of Latakia.
12/20/2025 – One killed and others injured in Hama countryside:
Gunmen on motorcycles attacked civilians in the village of Al-Saboura, resulting in one death and several injuries.
12/21/2025 – Killing of a young man by security forces:
Armed groups affiliated with the so-called “General Security” shot and killed Haitham Abbas, a resident of the city of Nubl.
12/26/2025 – Bombing of Imam Ali Mosque (peace be upon him) in Homs:
The group “Ansar al-Sunna” carried out a bombing of the mosque in the Wadi Al-Dhahab neighborhood, killing eight worshippers and injuring dozens.
12/28/2025 – Suppression of protests:
“General Security” forces suppressed protest marches in Latakia and Homs using live ammunition, resulting in deaths, injuries, and the arrest of dozens, including women and children.
Saudi Arabia
12/23/2025 – Execution of three young men:
Authorities carried out discretionary executions against detainees Sayyid Hussein Haidar Al-Qallaf, Mohammad Ahmed Al-Hamad, and Hassan Saleh Al-Saleem, all from the city of Qatif.
12/31/2025 – Execution of three additional detainees:
Authorities carried out discretionary executions against Ahmed Mohammad Al-Abdullah, Mousa Jaafar Al-Samkhan, and Redha Ali Al-Ammar, also from Qatif.
