Family Members Protest against Brutal Beating of the “Dana Mall Detainees”
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
REF: 06082201
Family Members Protest against Brutal Beating of the “Dana Mall Detainees”
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
REF: 06082201
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) is highly concerned upon receiving information from the “Dana Mall” (BCHR REF: 06081701) defendants families, that since Tuesday the 15th of August, the detainees had been held incommunicado. All contacts with the detainees were cut and visits were not permitted until this past Sunday morning. The BCHR was informed that the defendants were moved to a different location by the police and later moved back to the Dry-Dock Jail where they were originally detained. Family members claim that the defendants had been on hunger strike since the Court session last Tuesday and their health had deteriorated leading to more than three being moved to hospital over the past week.
Relatives confirmed that some of the defendants, namely Mr. Moosa Abdali, aged 25, Activist of the Unemployment Committee, Hassan Al-Afoo, aged 20, and Hassan Hamada, aged 16, were moved to the hospital. One family member told the BCHR that when he visited his son last Monday, he noticed signs of beating on his sons body. Others have made the same claims and told the BCHR that the beating came after the detainees staged a protest against another postponement of one month by the Court Judge last Tuesday. The authorities, the families allege, have been stalling and extending the trial while refusing to release the defendants on bail.
The Detainees have since broken the strike after negotiating with the authorities for better treatment. The BCHR received a letter from the detainees which conveyed the specifics of the incident(kindly find a translated copy attached). The Detainees complain of harsh treatment, brutal beating and sexual harassment of a minor detainee, and if these allegations prove to be true, the BCHR fears for the safety of the detainees as their detention continues to be extended, and the same Police Officers continue to supervise and enforce a questionable method of prison regulations long scrutinized for its failure to protect the rights of the prisoners.
The BCHR calls for an investigation into claims of beating and mistreatment of the detainees. The investigation has to be done and supervised by an independent entity, which must secure the safety of the prisoners should they choose to convey any information relating to any mistreatment. The BCHR also calls for the immediate release of those detainees with no viable evidence that justifies their detention, specifically the minors and the activists held on this case.
A translation of a letter from the detainees of the Dana incidents regarding the assaults they were exposed to by the riot police inside ((Dry-Dock)) prison.
The latest events:
On August the 15th, 2006 we were presented to a mock trial as usual, the session was adjourned with the excuse that witnesses, members of the Security Special Force who claim to have been assaulted, did not attend. Hence, we announced our resentment towards what is happening to us of injustice and oppression. Based on that, we decided not to cooperate by not attending any more trial sessions and going on a hunger strike. When we went back to prison we performed our prayers, read the Koran and supplication and were surprised by the presence of the riot police. We were attacked and hit brutally and violently, our hands were tied up behind our backs and we were taken outside to the station’s square. We were laid down with our faces to the ground under the heat of the sun for more than two hours. We were hit with sticks and kicked with shoes until our bodies started bleeding, and some of us had their arms and legs injured, or broken and fainted. What is more important besides all that, is that one of the prisoners who is 16 year old was laid down on his stomach and one of the riot police officers came to him and told him, “If you go on a hunger strike again and you cooperate with the rest of the prisoners I will disgrace your honor and dignity and I will do so and so.” He molested him, as he took pleasure in touching his private parts and he tried to pull down his clothes until he started screaming and crying for help. The officer left him after he started crying in front of the other detainees, the policemen, the police in charge of the station, the officers and the officer who ordered bringing the riot police. After that we were taken to the cells with our hands tied up, the officers came to us and started showering us with offensive words and indecent insults. All our personal possessions and even the blankets we sleep on were confiscated. Some of us were separated; they took five of us to Al-Hid prison, and the rest stayed in Dry-Dock prison. All of us were prevented from going on the same day to hospital for treatment, as well as preventing us from calling our families or getting visits and talking to the police so that news of the assaults and humiliation does not reach outside. Both the detainees in Al-Hid prison and in Dry-Dock prison held on to the hunger strike, and after two days of the strike we demanded being gathered in the previous prison (Dry-Dock) and facilitating our matters. It was agreed upon that, on the condition of ending the strike. We agreed on that and we were gathered in Dry-Dock prison. We were surprised by the harassments of the officers and policemen in the prison. As well as being prevented from everything, even going to the restroom or going out to perform the ritual of ablution and prayers was done under harassments. When one of us was taking a shower we were prevented from going out even if it were for a necessity. Also, when anyone asks to go to hospital, he is only allowed to do that after hours of being fainted. Therefore, we went on strike again and our condition continued like this for five days. After that, a compromise was made and in accordance with it we were to end our strike, our circumstances in prison was to be facilitated and the situation was to be returned as it was before the last court session …. However, our demand to be released and end the trial sessions was not fulfilled.
In consequence of this, we demand that we get released right away because we have not committed any felony and we are political detainees and are not criminals or ravagers as the government claims. Therefore, we will continue our non-violent and repetitive pressures until we are released. We will not retreat and we will not accept to be disgraced, we are determined to continue in all which we are able to do…
((The relief is coming hopefully))
The Dana incident’s detainees