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The Death Gas
Tear gas is known as a chemical weapon (non-lethal) which stimulates nerve endings in the eye's cornea
causing sensation of pain and tears flow
This weapon is used to control civil protests, break up gatherings and to end riots
The laws of systems which described as democratic regimes are obliging the security forces
to trained well before using tear gas, and using it only in case of necessity
taking into account specific legal standards
International laws prohibit excessive use of these gases in the narrow residential areas or enclosed
and crowded gatherings, as well as avoid firing directly toward demonstrators' bodies
Exposure to tear gas for long periods and in poorly ventilated places
can cause serious health problems, including:
Glaucoma, sometimes leads to blindness
Second degree burns
Death resulting from chemical burns to lungs or pharynx
Exposing pregnant women to risk of abortion
Effects of tear gas varies depending on its type and quantity inhaled by the targeted individual
The most known types are:
The least impact: CN gas, commonly used, with timely effect, fading fast
Average impact: CS gas, more effective, toxic and damaging to the environment
The strong impact: CR gas with serious effects may lead to death
CR gas is more powerful and damaging than normal tear gas, and it can lead to death
especially if used in closed areas
The security forces in Bahrain are suppressing demonstrations on a daily basis through excessive use of tear gas
in addition to targeting homes, cars and flooding residential areas by gas as a form of collective punishment
causing a lot of suffocations
The human rights organizations and political parties "local and international" documented
the use of CS gas by Bahrain authorities
in addition to the unknown number of gases that can be in the classification of CR gas
Any of human rights organizations or political or medical parties did not reveal the type of gases
which thrown at demonstrators or in their residential areas
but some of gases which fired were pale yellow in color
which confirms doubts about being a CR gas which is pale yellow substance
Regime forces are not only throwing the toxic gases in residential areas
but they are firing deliberately tear gas directly toward protesters intent to inflict harm or ***
number of protesters were killed by this manner
Also multiple-shot weapon seen with regime forces
using it to directly injuring the protesters by multiple and very fast shots
Physicians for Human Rights wondered about nature of the gas used by Bahraini authorities
The organization reported with Bahraini human rights and political parties
more than 30 deaths; due to toxic gases released by regime forces inside homes
PHR reported in an earlier statement:
Government forces did not only assault on protesters in the streets with tear gas during the day
but they are attacking innocent women, children and elderly with tear gas in their homes at night
High Commissioner for Human Rights in the United Nations said:
Credible sources suggest that the civilians who died due to tear gas suffered from gas inhalation complications
The Commission has indicated that the gases caused the death of two persons per month in 2011
and confirmed that it has received disturbing reports of excessive use of force by Bahrain security
including excessive use of tear gas
Amnesty International pointed out more than once to the misuse of tear gas by the regime's forces
Amnesty said in an earlier statement:
an increasing number of deaths and eyewitness accounts indicate that tear gases
used inappropriately by Bahraini security forces, including inside people's homes and other narrow spaces
The organization considered that dumping poison gas in residential areas is a violation of basic human rights
The commission of inquiry known as "Bassiouni commission" approved by the head of the regime
acknowledged the misuse of tear gas by regime forces, and reported:
Paragraph: 1091, Page: 338/ The usual practice of Public Security Forces units
was to use excessive amounts of tear gas to disperse protesters
On a number of occasions, PSF units fired tear gas canisters at and into residences
Paragraph: 1095, Page: 339 / In some incidents which were witnessed by Commission investigators
tear gas was fired directly at or into houses
Such use of tear gas rendered these homes uninhabitable
Produced by: @NahjAlThawra September 2012