Torture claims dog Bahrain riot trial

CIVIL STRIFE: 11 Bahraini Shi'ite men were sentenced to jail terms of up to seven years on Sunday. (Getty Images)

Bahrain should suspend this week's conviction of Shi'ite opposition activists and launch a full investigation into claims their confessions were obtained under torture, Human Rights Watch urged on Wednesday.

At the high-security hearing in Bahrain's capital Manama on Sunday, 11 men were sentenced to between one and seven years behind bars in connection with riots last year, while four were acquitted because of a lack of evidence.

The New York-based rights group said repeated allegations that confessions were obtained by abuse "cast doubt on sentences".

Relatives of the defendants have described how some were hit with metal bars, electrocuted, suspended from the ceiling and even sexually abused during their detention, Human Rights Watch said.

The families of two of the jailed activists also claimed the men were deliberately forced to stay in cells with prisoners suffering from contagious diseases.

"By convicting these people partly on their confessions without having credibly answered claims of coercion and abuse, Bahrain's courts are failing to address the possibility of torture," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

"They should suspend the verdicts and thoroughly investigate the claims of abuse in detention... Any forced confessions shouldn't be admitted as evidence."

Bahrain has said all the detainees were examined by a forensic physician and no evidence of abuse was found. However, authorities refused to allow independent physicians to investigate the claims.

Sunday's judgement sparked a wave of violent protests by Shi'ite youths across the Sunni-ruled Gulf island kingdom, with protesters hurling Molotov cocktails in clashes with police who in turn used tear gas to try and restore order.

Bahrain was hit by a week of violence between Shi'ite protesters and security forces in December, with officers using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protestors.

The violence resulted in the death of one person which, in turn, sparked further clashes with rioters hurling rocks and petrol bombs at police.

According to local media, the unrest peaked on Dec. 20 when 500 demonstrators took to the streets, in anger over the death of a protester who had inhaled teargas.

Print | Email | Discuss this article |

USER COMMENTS (0 COMMENTS)

POST A COMMENT

CLICK HERE TO POST A COMMENT

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Security Code *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.