Bahrain Mirror- Exclusive: Five human rights organizations issued a report about torture in Bahrain in which they recounted the patterns of systematic torture practiced against political prisoners in Bahraini prisons and the activists summoned by the Intelligence to force them stop their activities.  

The report named a number of torture victims, mentioning details of what they were subjected to.

The organizations condemned in the report issued on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26, 2017, the involvement of the judiciary in covering up and justifying the torture of victims who testified themselves inside courtrooms. They also expressed their deep regret at the failure to hold accountable, stop and expose such illegal and internationally prohibited practices taking place at the Criminal Investigation Department, Jaw Central Prison, the NSA's Security Facility in Muharraq City or other detention centers.

Among the important cases documents in the report is the death of martyr Hassan Al-Haiki who died in prison due to torture. The report also tackled the death sentences that have been recently issued against torture victims, including Sayed Ahmed Al-Abbar and Hussein Ali Muhammad, as well as the execution sentences carried out for the first time against 3 citizens; Sami Mushaima, Ali Al-Singace and Abbas Al-Samie.

The report pointed out to cases of enforced disappearance, including cases of Sayed Alawi Sayed Hussein and Sayed Fadhel Abbas Radhi.

The organizations talked about torture in the Criminal Investigation Department, particularly torturing 2 prominent activists, Al-Wefaq member Nizar Al-Qari whom Salam said he was beaten and forced to stand for long hours and assaulted for several days where the investigation was based on his activities in the opposition party Al-Wefaq, in which he was a member until the Bahraini authorities dissolved it by court order and stopped all its activities.

The report also mentioned what was documented by Bahrain Center for Human Rights about torturing detainee Komail Ahmed Hamideh, who suffers from mental disorders, in the CID building.

The organizations recounted some cases in which torture victims were prevented from receiving treatment like Akbar Ali who attempted to commit suicide several times due to his psychological condition, Mohmmad Faraj who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, Elyas Faisal Al-Mulla who suffers from cancer and Jaafer Oun who was tortured in the head area causing him complications, the most recent of which was a swelling of the head.

As for torturing women, the report talked about the case of human rights activist Ibtisam Al-Saegh. At the Isa Town Prison for Women, 12 Bahrainis are currently in detention on political grounds, many of whom have been subjected to abuse and inhuman treatment and ill-treatment.

Stories of Torture in the security Facility of the NSA (Muharraq security complex)

The report contained a part documenting torture stories in the NSA building that started since May after Diraz attack. Local human rights organizations have documented numerous cases of torture committed by members of the NSA. In May 2017, a number of human rights defenders entered for interrogation by the NSA, at the security compound, on the third floor, in room number 1, during which extended hours of interrogations took place. They were beaten, forced to sand and blindfolded throughout the entire course of investigations. No lawyer was allowed to follow the proceedings if the investigation.

They were also subjected to religious disrespect, insult, defamation, vilification, verbal harassment, sexual assault, electric shock and stripping them naked. The investigation attempted to intimidate them by threatening to target their family members and colleagues if they do not suspend their activities with local and international human rights organizations. Some have been forced to announce on Twitter their suspension of any human rights work and social media activities.

The report gave an example about son of the prominent Al-Wefaq leader, Sheikh Hassam Sultan.  The NSA investigated Mohammad Sultan about the activity of his father to disclose information on him. He was stripped naked during the investigation and forced to stands for long time and was severely beaten and threatened to be sexually assaulted. He was informed that he is banned from traveling by decision of the NSA.

Mohammad Sultan

The report also mentioned the case of chairman of the Monitoring Committee of Unitary National Democratic Assemblage, Adel Al-Marzooq, who declared on Twitter after being investigated and tortured by the NSA that he left human rights work. Al-Marzooq reported being severely beaten on the head by a solid item and stripped of clothes and cold water was poured on him several times. He was threatened with rape and forced to repeat the phrase "I am a traitor to the homeland" and was forced to post on Twitter to declare suspending all his work.

Human rights organization participating in issuing this report; Salam for Democracy and Human Rights, Bahrain Center for Human Rights, The European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights, Bahrain Forum for Human Rights and Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights concluded their report by calling on the Bahraini authorities to immediately stop the use of torture as a policy to extract confessions and to spread fear and intimidation among people.

They also called on the government of Bahrain to immediately, impartially and transparently investigate the allegations of torture against dozens of offices in the NSA who are involved in torture and other human rights violations, hold accountable the perpetrators, compensate the victims, put an end to impunity governing the police forces and allow the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to visit Bahrain urgently and allow him to work freely and meet the victims unconditionally.

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