Sandeep Singh Grewal
Staff Reporter
Political parties and human rights organisations have appointed 14 lawyers to fight the case of those detained by the authorities in connection with the recent protests.
“We are holding talks with the families,” Hassan Ismail, one of the lawyers, told the Tribune yesterday.
“It’s too early to comment on the issue as we are finalising with lawyers from various political blocs and human rights organisations,” he said.
Sandeep Singh Grewal
Staff Reporter
Political parties and human rights organisations have appointed 14 lawyers to fight the case of those detained by the authorities in connection with the recent protests.
“We are holding talks with the families,” Hassan Ismail, one of the lawyers, told the Tribune yesterday.
“It’s too early to comment on the issue as we are finalising with lawyers from various political blocs and human rights organisations,” he said.
Families of those detained protested outside the Public Prosecution office in the Diplomatic area as interrogation began yesterday.
“About 50 families signed a petition addressed to the head of Public Prosecution for permission to meet their loved ones. But the authorities rejected the petition,” said Hussain Al Salatna, whose brother Nader is among those arrested.
Several women sat outside the office, demanding the release of their loved ones.
Later in the afternoon, one member from each family was allowed to see their sons from a distance, Al Salatna claimed.
A Ministry of Interior official said no political arrests were made but only those involved in the theft of weapons and setting a police car on fire were detained.
The authorities have not released any list of those detained but a human rights organisation claimed that the security forces had arrested 39 persons.
The protest follows the death of Ali Jassim, 31, on December 18 because of a sharp drop in blood circulation as per official claim. But family and relatives say he had inhaled tear gas.
Activists from Haq Movement and the defunct Bahrain Centre for Human Rights will begin their hunger strike tomorrow to press for an independent probe into Jassim’s death.