AhlulBayt News Agency

source : Alalam
Wednesday

20 July 2011

7:30:00 PM
254769

Ayat al-Qurmezi: Bahrain Royal Family Tortures Detainees

Bahraini poetess Ayat al-Qurmezi says some members of the ruling Al Khalifa family have personally tortured anti-regime protesters in jails.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - She said in an interview with Al-Alam news channel on Wednesday: "There is no doubt about the government's official supervision over the torture, even some members of the ruling family personally take part in torturing detainees."

Al-Qurmezi noted that some detainees have been killed under torture.

She was arrested on March 30 after being caught on film reading poems critical of Bahrain's ruling regime to a group of protesters at Pearl Square in the capital Manama.

In June, a military court sentenced the young activist to 12 months in jail, reportedly without any legal argument or her lawyer being allowed to speak.

The 20-year-old poetess was released on July 13, but her sentence has not been revoked. She is currently under house arrest.

She said that beating and electronic shocks are the most common ways of torturing in Bahrain's prisoners.

In the latest development on Wednesday, Bahraini forces once again attacked peaceful protesters in several villages and towns surrounding the capital including Nuwaidrat, Sanabis, Eker, and Sitra.

Anti-regime protesters have been holding demonstrations across the country since mid-February, calling on the Al Khalifa ruling family to relinquish power.

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