Gulf Daily News – 23 May 2005
HUMAN rights activists yesterday called on the Bahrain government to apply recommendations issued by the United Nations Committee Against Torture this week.
Bahrain was required to present a report to the committee on its implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
“We call on the authorities to take measures to implement these recommendations and consider the concerns raised by the committee,” said a statement issued by the now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR).
Gulf Daily News – 23 May 2005
HUMAN rights activists yesterday called on the Bahrain government to apply recommendations issued by the United Nations Committee Against Torture this week.
Bahrain was required to present a report to the committee on its implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
“We call on the authorities to take measures to implement these recommendations and consider the concerns raised by the committee,” said a statement issued by the now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR).
The centre was among five human rights groups that presented shadow reports during three days of discussions with the committee in Geneva, Switzerland, starting last Wednesday.
In its statement, the BCHR called on the government to co-operate on issues related to the application of the convention.
It also called for a national committee to be formed to follow up on the implementation of UN recommendations.
In its list of recommendations, published in the GDN yesterday, the committee called on Bahrain to withdraw immunity from police accused of abuses before 2001.
It said that Bahrain should consider steps to amend Decree 56 of 2002 to “ensure there was no immunity to officials who had perpetrated or acquiesced in torture or other cruel and inhuman or degrading punishment”.
The committee also said it was concerned about the “persistent gap” between the legislative framework and its practical implementation with regard to the obligations of the convention.