National Institution for Human Rights – Kingdom of Bahrain
about torture sustained in custody centers and reform and rehabilitation centers, with
an average of five complaints each. Only two complaints were received concerning
claims of torture during arrest and in police stations.
24. Following receipt of such complaints, NIHR considered these complaints and
expressed its legal opinion thereon. It addressed the competent authorities
concerning these complaints, such as the Ministry of Interior, the Public Prosecution,
an Secretariat, and the Supreme Judicial Council. One complaint was excluded,
which was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, since its subject was referred to and
decided by the court. NIHR addressed the public prosecution and the Ministry of
Interior concerning two complaints, and it was reported that investigation into the
complaints was conducted and the necessary measures were taken. NIHR sent a
correspondence concerning one complaint and it was found out that no right was
violated in this complaint. However, NIHR did not receive any response by the
competent authorities concerning the remaining 17 complaints, despite the repeated
correspondences addressed by the NIHR on these complaints.
25. Moreover, NIHR visited the Drydock detention center after receiving a complaint
about humiliating and degrading treatment of one of the arrested accused persons
in the case known as (five tons). Following correspondences with the Ministry of
Interior and the Supreme Judicial Council concerning this complaint, the detainee
was interviewed to determine his condition and verify the allegations put forward
by his family in the complaint. The allegations consist of handcuffing the detainee
with iron shackles, not providing a bed for sleeping, discharging the air-conditioner
water in the cell, the manner of presenting meals, not opening the cell to the other
cells, which deprives the detainee from communicating with the rest of the detainees.
The Institution prepared a report on the visit, which was sent to the Ministry of
Interior. The Ministry responded by denying the allegations without indicating
the procedures taken and the investigations conducted which led to the Ministry
conclusion.
26. Based on the published news in the local newspapers and social networks about
chaos and riot events in one of the wards in the Drydock custody centre by a group
of detainees, NIHR requested visiting the centre and interviewing the detainees. The
Ministry of Interior directly complied with the request of the National Institution.
During the visit, NIHR delegation met the concerned parties at the Ministry and
police members, in addition to those the detainees in the ward. The delegation
interviewed some of the detainees individually. During the visit, it was observed
that there were marks of severe assault on different parts of the bodies of those
arrested as a result of beatings with batons by riot police in a manner that can be
described as collective punishment. In addition, the detainees reported that they
were placed under hot sunshine for up to four hours, and were subjected to insults
and curses of sectarian nature. NIHR prepared a detailed report on this visit and
concluded it with recommendations that highlighted the need to conduct serious
investigations by the Drydock management officers into the alleged torture and
other forms of humiliating and degrading treatment, and consider the possibility of
composing an ad-hock committee of the Ministry of Interior, the judiciary, NIHR and
the Ombudsman to establish procedures for treatment of detainees at the Drydock
custody center in line with the relevant international standards on the treatment of
prisoners and detainees. The National Institution sent that report to the Ministry of
Interior, but it did not respond to the report to date.
27. It is worth noting that NIHR has contacted the Ministry of Interior on two different
incidents in order to first visit the custody center, based on the complaint received
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