Bahrain: Attack on women, children as Amnesty issues damning report
In a serious attack on women rights, three women were attacked and arrested by members of Death Squads at the outskirts of Sitra.
The women, age 23-33 years, were returning home at around midnight on Saturday when they were stopped at a check point, searched, abused and hand-shackled before being led away to the torture chambers. After frantic search by their families they were told they had been arrested and charged with “abusing the police”. They were scheduled to appear at an Al Khalifa court and could face harsh sentences. There is also a fear that they could lose their jobs and other public services. As part of the policy of the “silent genocide” against the natives, Bahrainis are now deprived of such services when they oppose the hereditary dictatorship and call for democracy.
The attacks on Shia villages have become routine policy of the ruling family. At 2.30 am on Saturday morning, raids against innocent civilians in Karzakkan were conducted by foreign forces deployed by the Al Khalifa. Young Bahrainis are still being sought for a crime they had not committed.
Several members of the Karzakkan Group, have refused to hand themselves up to the Death Squads since their acquittal of the charges by a court earlier this week. The royal court ordered their re-arrest after they exposed the torture and ill-treatment they had been subjected to while in detention for almost two years. Their homes are under persistent raids and their families have been placed under a state of continuous fear.
Observers at one of the courts yesterday were shocked to see the extent of abuse meted on a child from Sitra who has been in detention for two weeks. His horrific wounds were displayed when he was brought to the court for a trial charged with taking part in protests against dictatorship and ill-treatment of prisoners.
On another level, the youth of Janabiyya took their protest to the main road yesterday, burning tyres near the Canadian University. The road was briefly closed before Death Squads arrived and pursued the youth in the alleys of the town. At the same time the youth of the town of Sar took to the streets calling for the release of the political prisoners and the indictment of the perpetrators of the crimes of torture and silent genocide.
Meanwhile Amnesty International called on the Al Khalifa to allow detainees access to lawyers before the proposed trial on 28th October. In a statement released 13th October it said: “Denying detainees contact with the outside world heightens concern for their safety; when this right is withheld, it greatly increases the risk of torture and other ill-treatment.” As for the use of torture Amnesty International added: “”There must be a thorough, independent investigation by the Bahraini authorities into allegations of torture and other ill-treament – allegations that cast a dark shadow over Bahrain’s human rights record,”]
On 14th October the renowned international, Scholars at Risk network issued an Urgent Action call in regards to Detained Mechanical Engineering Professor Abdul Jalil Al-Singace. After highlighting the ill-treatment and severe torture inflicted on Dr Al Singace, Scholars at Risk invited letters, emails and faxes be sent:
-respectfully calling on authorities to ensure that Bahrain’s obligations under international law are upheld with regard to Professor Al-Singace;
-respectfully calling on the authorities to examine the circumstances of Professor Al-Singace’s treatment and detention; and
-respectfully calling on authorities to intervene to ensure his well-being, including ensuring immediate and regular access to legal counsel of his choosing, to family and to medical treatment.
http://scholarsatrisk.nyu.edu/Events-News/Article-Detail.php?art_uid=2407
Bahrain Freedom Movement
16th October 2010
