BAHRAIN MUST NOT USE
KILLING OF POLICEMEN TO CLAMP DOWN ON FREEDOMS
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
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PUBLIC STATEMENT
5March 2014
Index: MDE 11/010/2014
Bahrain must not use
killing of policemen to clamp down on freedoms
Amnesty International has
today called on the Bahraini authorities to ensure those arrested following a
blast that killed three policemen on Monday are not at risk of torture and
other ill-treatment and to not use the attack to justify further clamp down on
fundamental freedoms
.
The call came after the
Interior Ministry issued a statement on 4 March that it had arrested 25
individuals suspected in connection with the killing of three policemen on duty
and that it has taken the necessary measures to track down others linked to the
attack
.
Amnesty International
recognizes the Bahraini authorities’ duty and responsibility to apprehend and
bring to justice those responsible for the killing of the three policemen. It
nevertheless urges the authorities to ensure those arrested are not subjected
to acts of torture and ill-treatment while in custody and are given prompt
access to a lawyer and family. If charged, they must be given a fair trial
without recourse to the death penalty
.
In many cases documented by
Amnesty International, individuals arrested are often tortured or otherwise
ill-treated during their first days or weeks in the custody of the security
forces. Many are later tried unfairly and convicted on the basis of
“confessions” extracted from them under torture
.
The arrests of the 25
individuals were carried out during house raids mainly on the Shi’a villages of
al-Daih and Sanabis. Amnesty International has obtained the names of 22
individuals, all of them males and many belong to the same families
.
The security forces have
reportedly been heavily deployed in al-Daih and Sanabis villages amidst fears
amongst the inhabitants of further house raids and arrests
.
Amnesty International is
concerned about the recent escalation of violence, which has caused the death
of at least four police officers and injuries to many protesters. Such violence
often followed clashes between the security forces and protesters
.
The blast on Monday in
al-Daih, which killed three police officers, including one from the United Arab
Emirates, is the second to take place in less than a month. On 14 February
2014, a police officer died following a bomb blast in the village of al-Dair
.
The Monday blast took place
after the funeral procession of Jaafar Mohamed Jaafar, aged 23, who died in
hospital on 26 February where he was receiving treatment for sickle cell
anaemia. His family alleged he died as a result of torture and ill-treatment in
custody and lack of proper medical care. Amnesty International wrote to the
Ministry of Interior expressing concerns about the death of Jaafar Mohamed
Jaafar and called for an independent, thorough and impartial investigation
.
Amnesty International is
also concerned at measures announced during a government Cabinet meeting, which
include requesting the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs to monitor the
“political societies, religious platforms and mosque preachers who advocate
hatred, sectarianism and incite violence”. Such monitoring risks imposing
further restrictions on the right to freedom of association and expression
.
During the same Cabinet
meeting, a decision was also issued to enlist as terrorist groups Saraya
al-Ashtar (Al-Ashtar Brigades), which claimed responsibility for the attack on
Monday, Saraya al-Muqawama (Resistance Brigades) as well as the 14 February
Coalition and to arrest members of any other organisation or association linked
to them
.
In a separate incident, the
headquarters of Al-Wefaq Society, the largest opposition group was attacked
yesterday as thugs allegedly broke the gate to the building and an inside door.
Members of National Democratic Action Society (Wa'ad) also received threats on
Twitter on 3 February that their headquarters will also be attacked
.
All major opposition groups
in Bahrain publicly condemned Monday’s killings
.
http://www.amnesty.org/ar/library/asset/MDE11/010/2014/en/3f09d53f-276e-4786-ab76-3c99c05c0d0b/mde110102014en.html
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