Hamzah asserted the Public Prosecution’s keenness on compliance with the same governmental methodology in implementing BICI’s recommendations fully, effectively and transparently and that the Public Prosecutor Dr. Ali bin Fadhl Al-Buainain decided taking a series of actions aimed at finalizing current investigations as soon as possible in accordance with regional and international human rights and judicial standards.
He added that the first of these decisions was the creation of a Special Investigations Unit inside the Public Prosecution charged with examining all investigations, complaints and reports of fatalities, torture and gross human rights violations in the aftermath of the February-March 2011 incidents and to take actions in regards thereof.
The Public Prosecutor issued Resolution No.: (8) dated 27/2/2012 stipulating the formation of the Unit to be presided over by one of the senior chiefs of prosecution and membership of seven chiefs and members of the Public Prosecution. The Unit has actually begun to perform its assigned duties. And as regards how complains and reports could be lodged by individuals complaining from instances of torture or human rights violations, the Public Prosecution emphasized that all citizens have the right to directly lodge their complaints with the Unit in the Public Prosecution premises or to any of the Penal Prosecution offices which still do receive such type of complaints and reports in order to take preliminary actions, including immediate medical checkup by forensic doctors, in compliance with the provisions of Article (12) of the Anti-Torture Agreement and the provisions of Istanbul Protocol for Investigation, Documentation against Torture and any other such sort of mistreatment, harsh or inhumane punishment or degrading treatment. Then the Penal Prosecution refers the papers immediately to the Unit in order to take actions in regards thereof.
The Special Investigations Unit has taken the necessary actions regarding a number of cases of fatalities, permanent disability and referred the defendants before the competent courts and other cases are still being under investigation.
The Public Prosecution is committed to complete transparency, and therefore, the Public Prosecutor decided to issue a comprehensive statement on the first week of each and every month in order to clarify what has been done by the Special Investigations Unit regarding allegations of torture or gross human rights violations.