Since February, Saudi authorities have cracked down on protests in Qatif and Al-Ahsa in the oil-producing Eastern Province, in which protesters demanded an end of the long-lasting discrimination against Shia and the release of nine prisoners who have been held for 16 years without a trial. As a result, Saudi authorities have arrested more 380 persons, including activists and intellectuals. In addition, women and children were part of the arrested. As of now, about 50 persons are still detained, including the human rights activist, Fadhil Al-Manasif, and the writers, Nadeer Al-Majid, Ali Al-Dubaisi, and Zakaria Al-Safwan. Most of the arrested have been banned from traveling and fired from their jobs.
During the protests, riot police have beaten protesters, causing injuries and have harassed and reviled them, using anti-Shiites bigotry (like Farida, Iranian agents, and "Safaris"), reflecting a lack of integrity in dealing with protesters.
Moreover, since the protests have begun, Saudi security forces have fired live bullets at protesters (the attached table details the cases of protesters who have been shot). However, the firing of live bullets has intensified lately, causing the deaths of two persons: Nasser Al-Maharishi (19-years-old), killed near a police check-point; and Ali Al-Filfil, killed in a subsequent heated demonstration after the killing of Maharishi..
These acts violate international human rights law, including free assembly. The violating acts inclde opening fire on protesters; beating them with sticks; unwarranted arrests; firing from jobs, and banning protesters from traveling. Violations have also now reached the serious level of murdering civilians.
Since February, Saudi authorities have failed to take any legal actions to hold accountable those who opened fired on civilians.
A List of Persons Shot by the Firing of Saudi Riot Police and Emergency Force in Qatif
| # | Name | Age | Area | Description | Date of arrest/release | Picture |
| 1 | Ali Muhsin Al-Zayid | 24 | Awwamiya | On Thursday 10/03/2011, riot police opened fire on protesters in King Abdulaziz Street in Qatif, wounding Al-Zayid in his left thigh. | Released on 14/03/2011  |
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| 2 | Ali Jaffar Al-Saffar | 19 | Qatif | On Thursday 10/03/2011, riot police opened fire on protesters in King Abdulaziz Street in Qatif, wounding Al-Saffar in his right shoulder. | Released on 14/03/2011 | |
| 3 | Abdullah Muhammad Ali Abu-Abdullah | 22 | Awwamiyah | On Sunday 13/10/2011, he was shot by a live bullet. | Still detained in Dammam Public Prison without being charged. |  |
| 4 | Ali Jaffar Ali Al-Alwan | 17 | Qudaih | On Sunday 16/10/2011, he was shot in his leg in Al-Riyadh Street. | Still detained in Dammam Juvenile Probation Center without being charged. |  |
| 5 | Saleh Mahdi Mohammed Al-Marar. | 13 | Qudaih | On Sunday 16/10/2011, he was shot with two bullets in his left thigh and right leg in Al-Riyadh Street. | Still detained in juvenile probation center in Dammam without being charged. |  |
| 6 | Mamdouh Jaffar Ali Al-Alwan | 20 | Qudaih | On Sunday 16/10/2011, he was shot with two bullets in his back in Al-Riyadh Street. | Still detained in Qatif Police Station without being charged. |  |
| 7 | Muhsin Ali Eissa Al-Mghais. | 21 | Qudaih | On Sunday 16/10/2011, he was shot with a bullet in his leg in Al-Riyadh Street. | Still detained in Qatif Police Station. |  |
| 8 | Hussain Salman Al-Nadhar. | 24 | Qatif | On Tuesday 18/10/2011, he was shot with 5 bullets in his lower left leg, left knee, left thigh, left of his lower abdomen, left shoulder, in Awwamiya. | Still detained in Safwa Police Station. | |
| 9 | Mohammed Abdulwahid Abdullah Al-Abbas | 20 | Awwamiya | On Wednesday 26/10/2011, he was shot with a bullet in his upper left thigh from behind in Awwamiya. | Still detained in Dammam Public Prison. |  |
| 10 | Mohammed Fuad Al-Banawi. | 23 | Awwamiya | On Saturday 10/11/2011, he was wounded by a bullet fired from an armored vehicle when he was just out of home. The bullet penetrated his left upper arm and the upper chest wall and settled in the next to the nipple. | Released on Sunday 20/11/2011. |  |
| 11 | Nasser Ali Al-Mheishi. | 19 | Qatif | On Sunday 21/11/2011, around 8:30 P.M., he was shot with live bullets, causing his death. Until the writing of this report, the types of his wounds are unknown since police did not release his body and did not allow his family to see it. |  |
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| 12 | Ali Al-Fulfill. | 24 | Qatif | On Monday 22/11/2011, around 8 P.M., an angry protest erupted the day after the killing of Nassir Al-Mheishi, in which riot police opened fire at protesters, wounding Ali in the left of his upper chest. He was transferred to Al-Zahra Hospital and died there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMx3kwhqo9M |
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| 13 | Ahmed Alaradi | 19 | Qatif | On Monday 22/11/2011, around 8 P.M., an angry protest erupted the day after the killing of Nassir Al-Mheishi, in which riot police opened fire at protesters, wounding Ahmed in his backbone |  |
Examples of the medical reports:
 Medical Report of Mohammed Fuad Al-Banawi. |
 Medical Report of Mamdouh Jaffar Al-Alwan. |
 A picture of bullets fired by riot police and security forces on civilians. |
