Bahrain's state news agency reported Tuesday that three anti-government groups have been blacklisted as terrorist groups, according to Reuters.
During an extraordinary emergency session, following Monday's bombing that killed two Bahraini policemen and one official from the UAE, Bahrain MPs blacklisted the February 14 movement, Saraya Al Ashtar (Ashtar Brigade) and Saraya Al Muqawama (Resistance Brigade) "and any group associated or allied to them" as terrorists.
Though Monday's attack has escalated fears among the kingdom that more violence will ensue, most public opposition figures are associated with the latter groups, making it legal under the law to now imprison the opposition en masse. The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights issued a statement following the blacklist decision accusing the government "of exploiting Monday's incident to launch a campaign of widespread raids and assaults in an attempt to quench the revolution."
Bahrain has already arrested 25 individuals who are suspect of involvement in Monday's bombing in the village of Daih that left three security officials dead. Saraya Al Ashtar has allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack via social media, but the transmission has not yet been authenticated.
Several opposition groups, including the mainstream Al Wefaq movement, condemned the bombing and called on allies to continue to lead only peaceful protest actions.
Opposition groups, with the February 14 movement most widely known, have staged demonstrations calling for government reforms over three years. During initial uprisings in Pearl Square in February and March 2011, Bahraini authorities called on Saudi Arabia counterparts to crackdown on the protestors.
