Nawaf Abdullah Hamza, Head of the Public Prosecution’s Special Investigation Unit stated that, further to the Unit’s investigations and actions in torture and abuse complaints, investigators continued hearing the statements of complainants. Statements were obtained from eighteen complainants and eleven witnesses, Bahrain’s Information Affairs Authority (IAA) in a statement said.
Subsequently the Unit questioned and indicted eight of the accused.
The Unit had received ten new complaints in May and opened official inquiries into all of them. The accused are being subpoenaed to answer to charges made against them. The Unit continues to investigate thirty seven new complaints, in addition to the 122 cases which were referred to it by the Ministry of Interior and the National Security Agency.
Public Prosecution had last month referred two police officers to trial in two separate complaints which were previously investigated by the Unit, charging them with assault and battery. The Court sentenced them to three months in prison. Public Prosecution also referred six cases to trial late last week following extensive investigations by the Special Unit. The six trials are scheduled to begin within the coming few weeks.
Public Prosecution continues to monitor the physical safety of those convicted and detained in various cases. The Attorney General directed public prosecutors that it is necessary to regularly inspect detention centers and prisons, and hear the complaints of the detained and convicted.
Public Prosecution reaffirmed that all citizens have the right to file complaints directly with the Unit at Public Prosecution’s headquarters or with any of its branches which are still receiving such complaints to take preliminary action, including forensic examination of the complainant as stipulated in Article 12 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture, and Istanbul Protocol on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Subsequently, Public Prosecution immediately refers all papers to the Unit for action.
Public Prosecution Special Investigation Unit investigated 72 accused security personnel, including officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and referred to courts 12 cases involving 19 accused including officers. The charge of battery resulting in death was made in five cases, battery resulting in permanent disability in one case, use of force to extract a confession in one case, and assault and battery in five cases.