HAQ: Movement of Liberties and Democracy- Bahrain
22nd August 2006
URGENT APPEAL FOR INTERVENTION
PRONLONGED PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE WITHOUT TRIAL UNDER SYSTEMATIC TORTURE
In protest to the prolong detaining without trial for six months, the prisoners of conscience in Bahrain held a hunger strike. The call for the hunger strike came after the last week postponement of the trial yet for another month. The prisoners reacted angrily to this decision, and started chanting slogans against it. The guard police force surrounding the court compound, armed with batons and weapons, rushed to the court and snatched them to the torture chambers at the Dry Dock, Al Hura and Umm Al Hasam prisons.
HAQ: Movement of Liberties and Democracy- Bahrain
22nd August 2006
URGENT APPEAL FOR INTERVENTION
PRONLONGED PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE WITHOUT TRIAL UNDER SYSTEMATIC TORTURE
In protest to the prolong detaining without trial for six months, the prisoners of conscience in Bahrain held a hunger strike. The call for the hunger strike came after the last week postponement of the trial yet for another month. The prisoners reacted angrily to this decision, and started chanting slogans against it. The guard police force surrounding the court compound, armed with batons and weapons, rushed to the court and snatched them to the torture chambers at the Dry Dock, Al Hura and Umm Al Hasam prisons.
The crime those youngster committed was to participate in peaceful demonstration calling for the release of the prisoners of conscience detained aftermath of the known Bahrain Airport incident. After their return from the court and starting their strike, they were subjected to severe torture means including
parading barefooted and without proper clothing in the open in the heat of the summer sun where the temperatures exceed 50 degrees.
threatening with sexual assault, specially the young teenaged prisoner
beatings with rubberized sticks on all parts of the bodies.
They were further threatened with severe retributions if the news of such treatment was leaked to their families and the rest of the world.
After visiting them, families have been describing such scenes as horrific and reported that some of their beloved sons were limping and in bad physical look indicating that they have been the subject of torture and repeated attacks. The details of the prisoners are listed below.
The families have been holding protests at the roundabout of Rifaa, near the royal palace calling for the immediate release of their sons. The families have also been threatened with immoral acts if they continued their protests.
This is an urgent call for intervention for the safety and wellbeing of the prisoners of conscience in Bahrain. It is certain that their imprisonment is for political reasons and is definitely on the expense for their rights as detainees of conscience. We call upon your support to the immediate release of these detainees of conscience and call the Bahraini Authorities to stop targeting activists and use the laws, imprisonment, physical and psychological torture to silence all form of expression, association and opposition.
This call is primarily for the following Special Rapperteurs:
Special Rapporteur on Arbitrary Detention
Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Special UN Representative for the protection of Human Rights Defenders