Cyber Incident Victim: Bahraini Human Rights Watch Society
Date:
Jun 2015
Location:
Bahrain
Summary
A Bahraini human rights organization reported that its website and primary Twitter account were compromised and suspended ahead of its participation in a United Nations Human Rights Council session. Hackers targeted the group's online platforms, which had been actively documenting alleged child exploitation by anti-government protesters and advocating for enhanced legal protections for Shi’ite women in domestic disputes. The incident occurred as the organization prepared to present Bahrain's human rights situation at the international meeting. Despite the disruption, the group resumed communications through a new Twitter account and publicly affirmed its commitment to continuing advocacy efforts despite attempts to silence its outreach.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
In June 2015, the Bahraini Human Rights Watch Society reported that its website (www.bhrws.org) and primary Twitter account (@bhrws2004) were compromised and subsequently suspended. The disruptions began on Saturday, June 13, 2015, shortly before Secretary-General Faisal Fulad’s scheduled participation in the 29th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, which commenced on June 15 and extended through July 3. The group’s online platforms had been actively promoting Bahrain’s human rights situation in the two weeks preceding the attack, with plans to amplify these discussions at the UN meeting. Attackers first targeted the organization’s website, followed by its Twitter account, which had accumulated thousands of followers. The society swiftly established a replacement Twitter account (@bhrws) to publicly disclose the breach and maintain communication, using it to share a Gulf Daily News article detailing the incident.
The hacking directly impeded the society’s advocacy efforts during a critical diplomatic window. Fulad stated the attackers sought to silence the group’s documentation of child exploitation by anti-government protesters and its campaign for enhanced legal protections for Shi’ite women affected by domestic disputes. Despite the suspension of its primary digital channels, the organization continued its outreach through the new Twitter account and media engagements. Fulad explicitly rejected intimidation, asserting the society would persist in highlighting Bahrain’s human rights issues despite the disruption. The incident underscored the operational vulnerabilities faced by advocacy groups relying on digital platforms, particularly during high-profile international events. No technical details about the attack methodology, perpetrator attribution, or website restoration timeline were disclosed in available reporting.