Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
with hands and sometimes with a plastic tube. During interrogations, he
would lie down on his stomach while interrogators beat the soles of his feet
(falaka), causing him to vomit. As a member of Al Wefaq, they also
accused him of trying to overthrow the GoB. He was subjected to various
forms of mistreatment, including the following: sleep deprivation;
electrocution; being forced to lift his hands through a hanging device and
feeling as though his neck might break (this may be strappado); and
prolonged blindfolding and handcuffing throughout his detention at the MoI.
CASE NO. 24
(Examined by forensic team)
Date of Statement: 28 August 2011
Statement: The detainee was arrested on 15 March 2011 in Sitra while he
was leaving his uncle’s home in his car at around 14:00. There were
security forces on the opposite street using tear gas and shooting at
protesters with live ammunition and birdshot rifles. Masked individuals
were assisting the police officers. The detainee was shot in his left leg and
lost consciousness.
He woke up in the military hospital. There, he was beaten on his wounded
leg and subjected to verbal abuse directed at himself, his sect and his mother,
in particular accusing him of being a son of temporary marriage (mutaa) and
of following the devil’s sect. He was not permitted to use the toilet. He was
left naked but was not blindfolded.
In the evening, he was transferred to Isa Town police station without any
clothes on. He was kept in solitary confinement and denied food and water
for three days. A masked group then came in and beat him on his wounded
leg, hit his head against the wall and beat him on his chest, on his ears and
above his eyes. After half an hour, police came and took him to the second
floor where he met two investigators who asked him to sign papers. He
asked about the contents of the papers and the investigators angrily
responded that he was accused of attempted murder. He denied any
involvement in the demonstrations but they called him a liar and insisted that
he sign the papers. He signed the papers and was then spat on as he crawled
to the first floor (because of his injured leg).
He was detained for 35 days at Isa Town. At first, his family did not know
his whereabouts. He was left naked for some time and he suffered from
watching other detainees being beaten and verbally abused each day. After a
while, he was permitted to call his family and they brought him clothes. He
was taken twice for treatment at the hospital where they beat him, verbally
abused him, pointed a gun to his head and threatened to kill him. On the
third occasion, he refused to go back to the hospital so the police brought a
nurse to Isa Town to dress his wounded leg. He subsequently met with two
military prosecutors who forced him to sign a statement indicating that he
had not been subjected to any form of torture or inhumane treatment.
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