Bahrain Feature: The Killing of Ahmed Ismail Hassan

A map of the shooting of Ahmed Ismail Hassan, with his position and that of the Land Cruiser from where the fatal shot war fired

---

An EA correspondent, based on interviews with eyewitnesses, describes the events around the death of Ahmed Ismail Hassan:

On Friday night, at 11:30 p.m. (2030 GMT) a peaceful protest started in the village of Salmabad, behind the graveyard, near the roundabout on the road. In less than 30 minutes, three riot police SUVs dispersed the protests, knocking down the roadblocks that been placed by demonstraors the road and trying to run over the youths. One of the protesters fell down and the riot police gathered around him; he was beaten, arrested, and taken away.

After the police departed, the protesters regrouped and started marchto the main road. About midnight, a civilian Toyota Land Cruiser appeared and a man inside fired five or six rounds, forcing the protesters to retreat inside the village beside the graveyard. When the dark grey Land Cruiser saw them, it tried to break into the village, hitting the barriers. Five or six more shots were fired, with the bullets hitting a building and a street light.

The Land Cruiser left the village and parked on the roundabout near AMA University, as the protesters went out again to the main road in front of the graveyard. Ahmed Ismail was standing in a yard near the main road. The Land Cruiser was pointing red laser beams at the youths.

About 12:30 a.m., the protesters decided to return to the village. As they departed, a man inside the Land Cruiser fired again. Ahmed Ismail Hassan was shot in the lower abdomen [Note: the wound was later established to be in the upper right thigh].

When Ahmed was shot, he shouted and tried to run for about 20 feet until he fell. One of the protesters tried to help him walk from the scene until Ahmed fainted. Other youths gathered and carried him inside the village, taking him to a house where he had first aid before taking him to the hospital.

Eyewitnesses could not identify the type of gun that was used,  but some said that during the first and second waves of shootings, as the Land Cruiser's window were 1/3-down, a man pointed what looked to be a pistol. On the third occasion,, when Ahmed was hit, some eyewitnesses said that what appeared to be a rifle with a laser pointer appeared from the Land Cruiser.