AhlulBayt News Agency

source : TNA
Tuesday

31 July 2012

11:00:00 PM
333472

Secret locations for torture of detainees in Bahrain

The Times newspaper of London reported that Bahrain has embarked on the investigation of reports about the police beating and torturing anti-government protesters in the "black sites", in the elusive deception to prevent the commission of past violations blatantly.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The newspaper said these accusations “brings further doubt on the claims of the government reform of police practices." And it mentioned that the Bahraini system previously denied the existence of these black sites, despite persistent reports of beatings and torture that was still going on without interruption since the publication of the report of the Fact-Finding Commission in November.

But government officials now admit privately that some police officers continued to work outside the law.

According to the newspaper, opposition groups say, "The Youth Hostel, located adjacent to the capital Manama, and the equestrian center's police station, located in the western province in Badi, beat and interrogated detainees before transferring them to police stations," and that cameras were now installed outside the signatories, to monitor the entering and leaving.

The Times spoke with a young man, who asked not to be identified, and confirmed that he was tortured in the homes of young people last June, "They beat me with a stick and a belt, and kicked me."

"Human Rights Watch," organization cited similar stories of the use of police buildings or isolated pieces of land for the mistreatment of prisoners, including children, before taking them to the center.

It was noted that more than 70 police officers are under investigation for their role in the abuses committed during the crackdown last year. But only one was convicted, although there were three murder charges, while there are still 15 pending trials.

The newspaper said that senior officers or government officials were not held responsible for the abuse during the repression, which leads to believe they are trying to be acquitted.

Salman Jalahma, a spokesman for the government, said:” We take any allegations of torture very seriously, and any accusations of police misconduct will be investigated, we encourage people to make complaints."

The Times said that the government “seems unwilling to recognize or investigate the use of the" black sites "to torture detainees," and "renewed accusations of police violence does not correspond to the narrative that the Royal Government strived to create.

It considered that there is political stagnation caused by negligence in the provision of reforms and evident in the unrest, which increases the risk of entering into more violence.

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