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Suspects deny police murder
By RASHA AL QAHTANI
Published: 2nd June 2008
NINETEEN men arrested in connection with the murder of a policeman two months ago appeared in court for the first time yesterday. However, all pleaded not guilty during the hearing at the High Criminal Court and claimed confessions had been beaten out of them.
Their lawyers urged the court to release them on bail and assign a team of doctors to assess whether or not they had been abused in police custody.
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Suspects deny police murder
By RASHA AL QAHTANI
Published: 2nd June 2008
NINETEEN men arrested in connection with the murder of a policeman two months ago appeared in court for the first time yesterday. However, all pleaded not guilty during the hearing at the High Criminal Court and claimed confessions had been beaten out of them.
Their lawyers urged the court to release them on bail and assign a team of doctors to assess whether or not they had been abused in police custody.
However, a Public Prosecution representative denied all allegations of abuse and accused the suspects of fabricating stories.
“We ask the court to release the detainees on bail and refer them to a medical committee to examine them and report what injuries they have, and if they were physically abused and tortured,” said defence lawyer Ahmed Jaffar Al Arrayedh.
“We also ask the court to improve the detainees’ conditions and remove them from solitary confinement, restore their rights and not have them subjected to any form of torture.”
However, the court adjourned the case until July 6 to review the lawyers’ request.
Pakistani policeman Majid Asghar Ali Kareem Baksh, 24, was murdered by a mob that attacked his patrol vehicle with Molotov cocktails on April 9.
It is understood that Mr Baksh was in plainclothes while on duty in Karzakan, off Budaiya Highway, when the attack took place.
Two other policemen in the car who were with Mr Baksh escaped with minor injuries.
However, some of those arrested in connection with the killing testified in court yesterday that they had been attacked with a stun gun, hung upside down and beaten, denied water and left outside overnight – allegations that prosecutors vigorously denied.
“After four days of torture, I could not take it anymore so I confessed, even though I didn’t do anything,” one of the suspects told the court. “I was not even allowed to use the bathroom for four days and they would hang me from my hands and legs and beat me till I fainted.”
Another suspect said he could not feel certain parts of his body because of beatings, but claimed he had been threatened with further punishment if he did not walk properly.
“I told the police I didn’t do anything and they took me to the Public Prosecution, where I also said that I was innocent. They then took me to jail and hung me from my arms and legs and they started beating every part of my body with a stick until my body could take it no more and I fainted,” he said.
“I was also threatened by the officers that if I didn’t walk properly, I would be tortured even more.”
Another detainee said that when he was arrested he was made to stand for two days.
“I was beaten and tortured,” he said. “Until now I have scars all over my body.
“They did not give me water or even let me pray for two whole days until I confessed. When they asked me to confess and I denied, they started slapping me and took me out during the night.
“They hung me by my legs and left me there until it was daylight to force me to confess,” he claimed.
rasha@gdn.com.bh
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