Bahrain: Detainees are tortured, websites closed as the crackdown continues

Torture is rampant at Bahrain’s prisons. This is the stark reality unveiled by letters and verbal messages from the prisoners of conscience languishing at Al Khalifa torture chambers. Among them are: Ahmad Jaffar, from Daih, Naji Fateel, from Bani Jamra and Hassan Abdul Nabi, from Sitra.

The wife of Naji Fateel was reported to have become hysterical when she visited him in jail this week. She described him as a pale and drawn out person who lost energy to talk as a result of severe physical and psychological torture by Al Khalifa officers.

Among the new faces of torture are: Usama Al Mehri, Anwar Al Arabi and Abdulla Al Sarh. Usama Al Mehri carried vicious attacks against women when they went to the prosecution office to demand meeting their detained relatives. Abdullah Al Sarh was involved in the detention, interrogation and torture of Ibrahim Al Arab, an activist from Bani Jamra. In a leaked letter, Mr Al Arab described the maltreatment he endured as the torturers sought to incriminate him of possessing weapons confiscated from a police vehicle. He denied the accusations and was thus subjected to severe torture. They promised to release him if  he confessed to possession of weapons. He said in his leaked letter that he knew that if he made such false confession he would face terrible consequences. He refused their offer.

Little is known about these torturers, but are thought to be a new breed who administer torture in more sophisticated ways. The would inflict maximum pain leaving as little physical marks as possible. Those victims whose injuries are severe would be left in detention for longer periods pending the heeling of their wounds.Families of the prisoners of conscience have shown courage, patience and determination in their struggle against the illegal detention of their sons. They formed “The committee of Prisoners Relatives” which has been active in organising their campaign. Today, a statement was issued by the committee urging people to support them in exposing the crimes being committed by the regime against the prisoners who are now being used as hostages. After several days of pickets and demonstrations, the Al Khalifa reluctantly allowed some visits. To the horror of the families, their children have been severely tortured. In their statement, they said that the hostages are taken every night for torture sessions between dusk and dawn. Their clothes are taken off before being sprayed with cold water in these winter nights.

Some have been subjected to electric shocks . Many are shackled in similar ways as those at Guantenamo Bay. Their wrests show clear signs of strains and injuries. They are blindfolded most of the time. They have been denied the right to wash up to the extent that their body odour has become unbearable.  Some families have described how the bodies of their beloved were shaking as they talked to them. Torturers were overseeing the visits and preventing the hostages speaking freely to their families.As the international concerns grow for the well-being of the Bahraini prisoners of conscience, the Al Khalifa rulers have appointed their deputy foreign minister to defend them against the charges at the UN Human Rights Council.

The new official has spoken in vague terms of the cleanliness of the human rights records, and sought to shelter the ruling family from the international accusations of torture and maltreatment of detainees. The people are disgusted at this way of handling such a sensitive issue. At every complex juncture, the Al Khalifa have adopted deception as a tool in its war against the people of Bahrain, including buying off individuals who are ready to stand against their own people and shelter the criminal regime. Sources at the UN Human Rights Council have remarked that they were aware of these desperate tactics by the Al Khalifa and that these tactics have confirmed the suspicion of the international community with regards to the treatment of detainees.

Meanwhile, the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights has said that many websites have been closed by the authorities in retaliation for publishing unfavourable news about the plight of the Bahraini prisoners. The ruling family had imposed Law 47/2002 as a useful tool against freedom of expression and closed down these sites.

Bahrain Freedom Movement
04/01/2008