March 2012
Human Rights Council.
19th Session.
Agenda item 4. General Debate Country – Bahrain
Individual Oral Statement- Islamic Human Rights Commission
The Islamic Human Rights Commission would like to draw your attention to the Human rights situation in Bahrain which has deteriorated in the past year at an alarming scale. At least six people died under torture while hundreds have been subjected to systematic torture according to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry.
Systematic torture can constitute a crime against humanity. The death toll has reached 76 thousand, mostly extrajudicial killings due to excessive use of force. Military tribunals sentenced more than five hundred demonstrators to harsh prison sentences out of a total of 3000 arrests, most have not had the chance to appeal in ordinary courts and remain in jail. Peaceful demonstrators are routinely attacked with toxic tear gas that has lead to the deaths of at least 22 Bahrainis in the past year. Doctors, nurses, teachers, athletes and journalists were tortured and sentenced to lengthy prison terms for taking part in peaceful demonstrations.
The Government of Bahrain have refused to allow a visit by the ‘Special Rapporteur on Torture’ and imposed prohibitive conditions on human rights NGOs such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others prompting them to cancel proposed visits. Torturers have been granted impunity including the notorious Adel Flaifil and Khalifa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa has even been given a promotion. Our most serious concern is for activists such as ‘Abdulhadi Alkhawaja’ who has been on hunger strike for over 30 days whose life is at immediate risk, and for ‘Hasan Mushaimi’ who believes his cancer has returned & whose treatment is unavailable in Bahrain.
The Islamic Human Rights Commission urges the UN to take further measures in preventing anymore deterioration to the current situation in Bahrain, and conduct inquiries independently and transparently as to the serious human rights abuses occurring daily.
Thank you
