(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The Bahraini Interior Ministry has announced that two protesters have martyred in police custody after alleged physical abuse by Bahraini security forces.
The ministry said the body of Rashid Zakaria Hassan, 40, was found in a detention center and medics determined the cause of his death was complications from sickle cell anemia.
Hassan was detained on April 2 on charges of "inciting hatred, publishing false news, promoting sectarianism and calling for overthrowing of the regime" on social networking sites, the Interior Ministry said.
The ministry also identified the other man as Ali Isa Saqer, 31. Officials allege that Saqer had attempted to “murder” policemen by trying to run them over with his car and had hit one protester.
According to Bahraini officials, Saqer "created chaos at the detention center" and eventually died in a hospital of injuries he sustained in clashes with prison guards.
However, human rights activists believe both men were subjected to physical and mental abuse and might have died as a result, and the opposition party Al-Wefaq said the deaths occurred under "mysterious circumstances."
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