Sixty days ago from today the Bahraini regime forces shot Abdulazziz Alabbar to the head during a harsh crackdown on a funeral procession west to Manama. The 27-year-old died from his injuries on April 18th, 2014. Yet, he has not been buried. His body remains in the detention of the regime that is refusing to mention the real cause of death in his death certificate in order to protect his killer from punishment.
The regime in Bahrain is taking advantage of power to provide impunity to human rights violators and killers. The regime’s systematic impunity has so far protected the killers of over 130 victims from accountability.
The authorities’ refusal to include the cause of death in the victim’s death certificate reveals thecomplicity of several State-institutions in the crime. The murder of Abdulazziz is followed by several associated crimes; the first of which is the attempt to hide the killer, the attempt to counterfeit the death certificate and finally to let those involved in the killing go without accountability. State-institutions concerned with human rights, such as the National Institution for Human Rights, Ombudsman Office, Special Unit Investigation and Public Prosecution Office have all remained silent towards the crime, while the Bahraini courts have been prosecuting dissidents for their political opinions.
“If Abdulazziz’s case happened in a country where human rights are respected, this case would have made the government resign”, Al Wefaq National Islamic Society said, “but having happened in Bahrain, the Capital of Torture and Killings, proves once again, that the Bahrainis are suffering from a dreadful human rights situation”. Al Wefaq added, “Allies and friends of the Bahraini regime, who are providing support and cover for the regime to continue in human rights violations, share the responsibility with the regime”.
“The international community and the Human Rights Council, that is holding its 26th session in the current period, are looked upon to look into the humanitarian atrocities perpetrated by the regime in Bahrain. This regime has failed to coexist with and respect the rights of its people”, Al Wefaq stated.
Abdulazziz Alabbar was shot to the head with a teargas canister and shotgun on 23rd February 2014, during police crackdown on a funeral procession in Sar, west to the capital Manama. Mr. Christof Heyns, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions received an urgent complaint letter from 16 human rights organizations on the case of Abdulazziz Alabbar.
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