(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - BAHRAINI footballers, including stars of the national team, were tortured while in custody during a crackdown on anti-government protesters this year, The Times has learnt.
The testimony given to The Times directly contradicts assurances given to FIFA, football's governing body, by the Bahrain Football Association that no players had been suspended or mistreated.
In fact, friends and relatives said a number of players were subjected to beatings in prison after they were arrested for taking part in a demonstration against the ruling al-Khalifa family in March.
Other sportsmen have told of long interrogations and ritual humiliation in jail. The victims included A'ala Hubail, a striker, his brother Mohammed and goalkeeper Ali Saeed, all members of the Bahraini football squad.
Sitting in a community centre in the Shia village of Sitra, near the capital, Manama, they were too afraid to speak about their treatment and would say only that they did not know whether they would be allowed to play football again. The Hubail brothers had had their heads shaved. Mohammed had bruises on his feet.
Friends and relatives said the men had been threatened with further abuse if they spoke out, but gave details of what they knew of the men's treatment in jail.
"The first two weeks after they were arrested were the worst. They were beaten all the time. They still have marks on their bodies," said one close relative, who did not want to be named.
When the brothers appeared in court, military police officers on duty went up to shake their hands, some asking for autographs.
"But the men who were beating them were not Bahraini. They didn't care who they were," said a friend of the players. "These men are loved by the people, Sunni and Shia. You are British: imagine David Beckham gets arrested and tortured. It's unthinkable."
The government sent in troops to crush the Shia-led protests in March. At least 32 people have been killed and hundreds arrested in the crackdown. The Hubail brothers were arrested on April 5.
With martial law in place from March to last month, the Bahrain Football Association was sidelined. Instead, a government committee headed by the king's son, Sheik Nasser bin Hamad al-Khalifa, was set up to root out those who had taken part in the protests. More than 150 sportsmen, referees and officials were suspended, all of them Shia.
Last month, Mohammed Hubail was sentenced to two years in jail by a military court set up to try those involved in the unrest. Reacting to the sentence, Sheik Nasser wrote on Twitter: "If it was up to me, I'd give them all life." The tweet has since been deleted.
The jail sentence prompted FIFA to request details of Hubail's detention, to establish whether the government had breached international rules separating politics and sport.
FIFA this week said it had been assured by the Bahrain FA that no players had been disciplined during the unrest. "We contacted the Bahrain FA and they confirmed that no player has been suspended or sanctioned in any way," a FIFA spokesman said yesterday.
The authorities released the Hubail brothers and Saeed on bail last week. Government officials insisted that the sportsmen were charged with criminal acts.
"There seems to be a view that footballers or doctors are above the law. If there is a case against them, it does not matter who they are or what their profession is," said Bahrain Olympic Committee secretary-general Sheik Ahmed bin Hamad al-Khalifa.
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The testimony given to The Times directly contradicts assurances given to FIFA, football's governing body, by the Bahrain Football Association that no players had been suspended or mistreated.
In fact, friends and relatives said a number of players were subjected to beatings in prison after they were arrested for taking part in a demonstration against the ruling al-Khalifa family in March.
Other sportsmen have told of long interrogations and ritual humiliation in jail. The victims included A'ala Hubail, a striker, his brother Mohammed and goalkeeper Ali Saeed, all members of the Bahraini football squad.
Sitting in a community centre in the Shia village of Sitra, near the capital, Manama, they were too afraid to speak about their treatment and would say only that they did not know whether they would be allowed to play football again. The Hubail brothers had had their heads shaved. Mohammed had bruises on his feet.
Friends and relatives said the men had been threatened with further abuse if they spoke out, but gave details of what they knew of the men's treatment in jail.
"The first two weeks after they were arrested were the worst. They were beaten all the time. They still have marks on their bodies," said one close relative, who did not want to be named.
When the brothers appeared in court, military police officers on duty went up to shake their hands, some asking for autographs.
"But the men who were beating them were not Bahraini. They didn't care who they were," said a friend of the players. "These men are loved by the people, Sunni and Shia. You are British: imagine David Beckham gets arrested and tortured. It's unthinkable."
The government sent in troops to crush the Shia-led protests in March. At least 32 people have been killed and hundreds arrested in the crackdown. The Hubail brothers were arrested on April 5.
With martial law in place from March to last month, the Bahrain Football Association was sidelined. Instead, a government committee headed by the king's son, Sheik Nasser bin Hamad al-Khalifa, was set up to root out those who had taken part in the protests. More than 150 sportsmen, referees and officials were suspended, all of them Shia.
Last month, Mohammed Hubail was sentenced to two years in jail by a military court set up to try those involved in the unrest. Reacting to the sentence, Sheik Nasser wrote on Twitter: "If it was up to me, I'd give them all life." The tweet has since been deleted.
The jail sentence prompted FIFA to request details of Hubail's detention, to establish whether the government had breached international rules separating politics and sport.
FIFA this week said it had been assured by the Bahrain FA that no players had been disciplined during the unrest. "We contacted the Bahrain FA and they confirmed that no player has been suspended or sanctioned in any way," a FIFA spokesman said yesterday.
The authorities released the Hubail brothers and Saeed on bail last week. Government officials insisted that the sportsmen were charged with criminal acts.
"There seems to be a view that footballers or doctors are above the law. If there is a case against them, it does not matter who they are or what their profession is," said Bahrain Olympic Committee secretary-general Sheik Ahmed bin Hamad al-Khalifa.
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