REDRESS Trust – 17 August 2004
http://www.redress.org/country_bahrain.html
Excerpt:
V. Recommendations
It is evident that blanket amnesties militate against the attainment of true justice. Decrees 56 not only violates the obligation of the Bahraini Government to investigate and bring to justice and punish those responsible for gross human rights violations, it abrogates the right to a fair trial, as it makes it impossible to individualise or identify those responsible. Decree 56 is contrary to the right to judicial and effective redress, the right to effective recourse against acts that violated victims’ fundamental rights and renders the crimes without juridical effect. Furthermore, in passing Decree 56 Bahrain has violated its obligation to afford every person subject to its jurisdiction the right to a fair and effective remedy as well as the right of non-discrimination in the application of rights.
REDRESS Trust – 17 August 2004
http://www.redress.org/country_bahrain.htmlExcerpt:
V. Recommendations
It is evident that blanket amnesties militate against the attainment of true justice. Decrees 56 not only violates the obligation of the Bahraini Government to investigate and bring to justice and punish those responsible for gross human rights violations, it abrogates the right to a fair trial, as it makes it impossible to individualise or identify those responsible. Decree 56 is contrary to the right to judicial and effective redress, the right to effective recourse against acts that violated victims’ fundamental rights and renders the crimes without juridical effect. Furthermore, in passing Decree 56 Bahrain has violated its obligation to afford every person subject to its jurisdiction the right to a fair and effective remedy as well as the right of non-discrimination in the application of rights.
Consequently, REDRESS recommends as follows:
- Decree 56 should be repealed or significantly modified to exclude from amnesty those accused of serious international crimes, including torture.
- A full and impartial investigation into the allegations put forward by hundreds of torture survivors should be undertaken by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, with a view to prosecution where sufficient evidence exists.
- Survivors of torture and their family members should be entitled to bring civil claims for the physical and psychological harm they suffered as a result of torture and ill treatment, and should be entitled to, among any other remedies, compensation and rehabilitative care.
- A full public inquiry into the endemic practice of torture in the 1980’s and 90’s should be undertaken with a view to acknowledging the harm caused to victims and preventing recurrence.
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