By NOOR TOORANI , Posted on » Monday, May 24, 2010
AN international rights group has called for an investigation into the alleged shooting of a suspected rioter in Bahrain.
Amnesty International wants Bahraini authorities to conduct an independent inquiry into the alleged shooting of the 20-year-old man with shotgun pellets.
Police believe he was among a group of masked men who ambushed a patrol jeep and hurled Molotov cocktails, setting the car ablaze in Karzakan on Monday night.
They resorted to firing, injuring one of the alleged rioters who was taken to the BDF Hospital.
By NOOR TOORANI , Posted on » Monday, May 24, 2010
AN international rights group has called for an investigation into the alleged shooting of a suspected rioter in Bahrain.
Amnesty International wants Bahraini authorities to conduct an independent inquiry into the alleged shooting of the 20-year-old man with shotgun pellets.
Police believe he was among a group of masked men who ambushed a patrol jeep and hurled Molotov cocktails, setting the car ablaze in Karzakan on Monday night.
They resorted to firing, injuring one of the alleged rioters who was taken to the BDF Hospital.
The injured man, who is hospitalised in the Interior Ministry medical wing, was charged with rioting and is being held in custody for a month as investigations continue.
“The Bahraini authorities must undertake a prompt and thorough independent investigation to establish the circumstances in which this young man was shot,” said Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa programme director Malcolm Smart.
“In particular, the authorities need to establish whether he was the victim of excessive force, in which case the police officer who shot him and any others responsible for the use of excessive force should be held to account.
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“Police are entitled to use force, including firearms, in certain, narrowly prescribed circumstances when their own or others’ lives are at risk, but the allegations here are that the Bahraini was shot while he was posing no threat.”
The Bahraini is reported to have been hit by 12 shotgun pellets, three of which struck him on the head.
Meanwhile, National Human Rights Organisation president Salman Kamaludeen yesterday demanded a “fair and just” trial for the Bahraini.
He spoke to the GDN following the organisation’s second visit to the suspect.
“I visited him once again yesterday to make sure he is in a stable condition. He is receiving good treatment and his condition is stabilising,” said Mr Kamaludeen.
“We demand that he receive a just trial and that legal procedures are handled fairly. We also request that he is given his full rights and be allowed constant contact with his lawyer until the case goes to court. “We have trust in our judicial system and we will continue to follow up the case as it progresses.”
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