Public Security Forces
The Public Security Forces, formerly known as the Bahrain State Police, are the principal Bahraini law enforcement arm of the Ministry of Interior. They are commanded by Maj. Gen. Tarek Al Hasan and include all Ministry of Interior field units responsible for maintaining order and security in Bahrain.
History
The Bahrain Police Directorate was first established in 1961 to address internal security, and was headed by Shaikh Mohammed ibn Salman Al Khalifa. At the time of Bahrain's independence from Britain in 1971, the name of the Directorate was changed to the Ministry of Interior, and the State Police was renamed as Public Security Forces.Departments
The following units and departments are among those that report directly to the PSF command:- The police departments of four of the governorates of Bahrain.
- The Special Forces Department.
- The Special Protections Department.
- The Counter Terrorism Centre.
- The General Directorate of Guards.
- The Traffic Police.
- The Operations Department.
- The Coast Guard.
Role during 2011–present uprising
Human rights violations
According to the BICI report, PSF units involved in the Bahraini uprising used excessive force when dealing with protesters which led to many injuries, including loss of vision. The report stated:However, as of May 2011, the Government of Bahrain has not taken any action against those who used excessive force against the protesters.
In March 2021, Human Rights Watch and Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy claimed that the Bahraini security forces unnecessarily detained children aged between 11 and 17 over protest-related cases. The police threatened a 13-year-old with rape and electric shocks from a car battery. The police was also accused of beating children and terrorizing them into forced confessions, while barring their parents and lawyers from being present during the interrogations. There was also a video of police vehicles attempting to run down people.