On International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Bahrain has Victims and Justice is Missing

On International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Bahrain has Victims and Justice is Missing

Bahrain’s victims of torture remain subjects to abusive torture practices carried out on them by the Bahraini security forces. For on the third consecutive year, the pains endured by the victims, pleas of their families and human rights organisations involvement have yet not managed to yield any effect to stop torture practices in the Kingdom.

We at Bahrain SALAM stand in solidarity with the victims of torture in Bahrain on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June 2014. We confirm that victims of such abusive practices remain either as prisoners or on parole without a just State to help them or impartial investigations to see into their physical injuries and treatments. A prolonged culture of impunity encouraged and maintained by the State has affirmed continuous and imminent dangers to all the victims, by allowing the suppression of impartial investigations, unjustly sentencing victims, and use of forced confessions extracted under torture used as qualifying legal evidence in court hearings and investigations. Thus displaying a serious lack of consideration for the international standards expected of just and equitable courts.

Stating that, Bahrain SALAM has examined and confirmed from hundreds of cases the horrifying treatments and extent of torture being administered inside Bahrain. Generally, the victims’ physical states deteriorate rapidly as they are individually confined in two-by-two metre cells, barred from using water supplies, stopped from observing their religious obligations, and forced to stand at least for five days. After such treatments, the investigations commence to extract false confessions, with frequent beatings to make the victim lose consciousness, uses of inanimate objects to sexually assault the victim, forced kissing of the shoes of the torturers, and continuous threats that if you do not yield to what they intend the victim’s family will receive the same treatments.

The torturers and other violators remain free of accountability and no international standards are observed in investigating any claims.

As such, Bahrain SALAM for Human Rights urge the international community and human rights organisations to mount significant pressure on the Bahrain Government to demand the following to carry out their international obligations and cease all violating practices:

1 – Immediately stop all torture practices inside both police stations and prisons, provide justice to the victims, and hold accountable the violators for their crimes.

2 – Allow the Special Rapporteur on Torture to enter Bahrain, investigate the claims without hindrance and assist where necessary.

3 – Stop the use of forced confessions extracted by torture that are being used as qualifying evidence in courts.

4 – Ratifying Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) and ensure the harmonisation of Bahrain’s domestic laws with the Convention.

Bahrain SALAM for Human Rights

25 June 2014