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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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15 February 2008

Press Release: Bahrain – Detained Human Rights Activists Continue to be Ill-treated

IHRC is very concerned about the welfare of the detained human rights activists and protestors in Bahrain who were arrested in the wake of the demonstration held on 17 December 2007 to commemorate the killing of two protesters 13 years ago.

The hearing for the detainees was scheduled for 3 February 2008 but was postponed to 24 February 2008 in the absence of the defence lawyers.

Meanwhile, the detainees continue to be ill-treated and abused by the security forces. Some have been victims of sexual abuse, like Mr. Maytham Bader Jassim Am-Sheikh, who was reportedly subjected to rectal penetration with a stick. Some, like Mohammed Al Sengais, Hasan Abdelnabi and Ahmad Jaffar Mohammed Ali, have been reportedly subjected to solitary confinement, in a 1×2 metre room, blindfolded and handcuffed. Some have been reportedly beaten and tortured.

Mr Mohamed Al-Singace (locally known as Abdali) who heads the Committee Against Inflation and is the brother of human rights activist Abduljalil Al-Singace, from the HAQ Movement of Liberties and Democratic Bahrain, has been reportedly tortured as well. According to his family’s reports, he was dragged, while being handcuffed, and then beaten with a metal object. Thereafter he was beaten by two security officers. He was taken for treatment to the Bahrain Defence Force Hospital on 7 February 2008.

IHRC calls on the Bahraini government to immediately and unconditionally release all the detainees and to ensure that they have full access to their lawyers and family members. IHRC further calls on the authorities to investigate the allegations of torture and ill-treatment and to ensure that the detainees’ human rights are respected.

For more information, please refer to https://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=3148 and https://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=3078

For more information please contact the Press Office on (+44) 20 8904 4222 or (+44) 7958 607 475 email info@ihrc.org.[ENDS]

Note to Editors:
Dr Abduljalil Alsingace is the Director of Media and International Relations, HAQ Movement. He can be contacted by email: asingace@gmail.com, asingace@hotmail.com

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The Islamic Human Rights Commission is an NGO in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
Email: info@ihrc.org
Web: www.ihrc.org

IHRC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations