Bahrain Regime steps-up effort to criminalise “freedom of expression”

Bahrain: Ongoing detention and ill-treatment of Freelance journalist after commenting to media channels
29 June, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) express concerns over the ongoing detention as well as the cruel arrest of yet another journalist and pro-democracy activist in Bahrain for merely exercising his right to freedom of expression. Journalist Ahmed Radhi (35) was arrested without a warrant, he was tortured and insulted and held incommunicado for 10 days. He was also denied access to a lawyer.

Ahmed Radhi was arrested on May 16 2012 after a raid on his house in Sanabis at 4:30 in the morning. No warrant was presented at the time of the arrest. His family believes that his arrest is a result of comments he made on international media channels including BBC and London-based Bahrain Lulu TV criticising the proposed union between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. He has also blogged about Bahrain and used social media channels to make his comments public.

After his arrest, his family were not notified of his whereabouts nor allowed to see him for 10 days. At the current time they are allowed regular visits, but Ahmed’s lawyer was not allowed to meet him until the first week of June, nor was she told what Ahmed was accused of.

Torture

BCHR has received a letter wrote by Ahmed Radhi in which he stated that he was beaten on his head and chest by security forces and that he was verbally insulted. He was thrown on cold and hard floor handcuffed with his hands behind his back and blindfolded for 48 hours while held at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) custody in Adliya. He said he was physically and psychologically tortured by “Isa Al-Majali” and his team to force him to confess. Ahmed was not even allowed to pray. He was interrogated several times and was beaten, humiliated and insulted each time. Later he was taken to the public prosecution where he has recorded a complaint. He was also interrogated at the public prosecution in the absence of a lawyer.

His family has said that Ahmed was forced to record a confession on camera. He is currently held at the dry dock detention centre. …more