Bahrain: Torture Chambers echo with cries of tortured prisoners of conscience – Bahrain Freedom Movement

The merciless attacks on the Bahraini citizens by the Al Khalifa mercenaries have taken a sharp turn to the worse. Scores of young men have been rounded up in dawn raids on their homes, detained and maltreated. There are increasing fears for their lives. Some view this sudden escalation as a revenge for the ruling family’s failure to convince the world community of its respect of human rights. Its representatives failed to defend Bahrain’s human rights record at the UN Human Rights Council’s deliberations in Geneva earlier this month. The ruling family thus felt the need to present different scenarios to justify its aggression against the people of Bahrain.

The epicentre of the Al Khalifa’s bombshell came when it alleged that demonstrators used a Molotov bottle against one of the police vehicles, setting it on fire that allegedly led to the death of one of its occupants. The victim is said to be a foreign mercenary who is working for the foreign-staffed riot police, alongside the notorious death squads. More than fifty youth are now languishing in the Al Khalifa’s torture chambers. They are said by their families to be subjected to merciless torture, humiliation and maltreatment. The ruling family has refused to investigate the said incident, despite the numerous calls from various quarters to form an independent inquiry to look into the security-related incidents which had caused the death of innocent lives. These include the unexplained death of Abbas Al Shakhouri, Mahdi Abdul Rahmad, Mohammad Jum’a Al Shakhouri and Ali Jassim Makki, who was killed by the death squads on 17^th December 2007. The failure of the ruling family to form independent inquiries is yet another incriminating factor against it and has been cited as an attempt cover up the crimes inflicted on the people of Bahrain by the ruling family and their foreign mercenaries.

The latest incident is said to have happened on Wednesday 9^th April near the town of Karzakkan. No clear picture has yet emerged especially that the official story by the authorities appears to contain serious contradictions to the extent it has created more confusion than certainty. Many believe the incident to be yet another blunder by the security forces to justify more aggression and detentions. The detainees from Karzakkan are: Sayyed Hashim Sayyed Ibrahim and his brother, Sayyed Sadiq, Hussain Abdul Karim Makki Eid, Sayyed Hadi Sayyed Hamid, 28, and his three brothers Sayyed Ahmad, 24, Sayyed Jaswad and Sayyed Omran, 25, Habib Mohammad Habib, 22, Hussain Ali Dhaif, Fadhel Abbas Ashoor, 27 and his brother Hussain, 25, Ahmad Ali Hassan, 23, Saleh Al Seeb, 28, Mohammad Makki Mansoor, 27, Hussain Abdul Hassan Khatam,23,  and Kumail Ahmad Ali Mahdi, 24.  Three youth were also arrested from Barbar: Hussain Ali Abdulla Abdul Hadi Al Marhoon, Jaffar Hassan yousef Al Jowhar and Mohammad Yaqoob Yousef.

More Bahrainis were also arrested in the past few days for taking part in country-wide demonstrations. Among them are: Sayyed Adnan Sayyed Majid, 16 from Hamad Town, Sayyed Adnad Sahhed Hadi Sayyed Kadhem, 17 from Karbabad, Jamil Abdulla Abdul Karim, 37 from Saar village., Abbas Ali Mohammad from Saar village, Sayyed Hussain Sayyed Hashim, 17 from Tubli, Mohammad Abdullah, 25, from Tubli, Mohammad Abdul Karim Al Samee, 18 from Iskan Jihhafs, Ali Abdullah Sa’ad, 26 from Daih, Hassan Radhi Al Baqqali, from Jidhafs and Abbas Hassan Ahmad, 26 from Daih.

There are disturbing news from inside the torture chambers that those prisoners have been subjected to most horrific torture at the hands of the interrogators. The health of several of them have deteriorated, and their families are extremely worried about their fate. Torture include shackles to the hands and feet, hanging in the chicken position, beating on all parts of the body, electric shocks and sleep deprivation. International human rights bodies are urged to intervene to stop this human tragedy.