Bahrain Freedom Movement

U.S. based watchdog urges Bahrain to investigate torture allegations of arrested activists
© AP

2007-06-01 21:53:49 –

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) – The Human Rights Watch said Friday it had written a letter to the Bahrain king, urging an immediate investigation into allegations of police torture of two arrested protesters.

The New York based watchdog also called on Bahrain government to release the two, Ali Said al-Khabaz, 22, and Hassan Yusif Hamid, 46

_ arrested after a May 21 protest against the police _ if they had not been charged with a criminal offense.Al-Khabaz’s family was unable to learn of his whereabouts for more than a week, when a photo of him in detention surfaced, showed swelling, bruising and other signs of trauma to the face and head, the Human Rights Watch said.

Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at HRW, said the photo had been obtained by Bahraini human rights activists, although it was not known how they got it.When Bahraini human rights activists attempted three days ago to visit al-Khabaz believing he was held in a military hospital, they found Hamid there recovering from a broken jaw and other injuries. Hospital authorities said al-Khabaz wasn’t there.Hamid told the activists that police had earlier taken al-Khabaz _ whose current whereabouts are unknown _ and him to several locations and beat them severely.Human Rights Watch said it had also written privately to Bahrain’s interior minister asking about al-Khabaz’s whereabouts but received no response.The rights group urged King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to establish an independent body to investigate the torture allegations.«Bahrain’s response … will show whether King Hamad’s promises of human rights reforms and rule of law have any meaning,» Stork said, adding that what was «extraordinary in this case is the violence that accompanied the arrests.»«It’s a very serious and extremely disturbing matter that demands urgent investigation,» Stork told The Associated Press by phone from Washington.The tiny Persian Gulf kingdom, with a population of 725,000 of which 60 percent are Shiite, is a close U.S. ally. The oil-refining and banking island also hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.