Journalists and Politicals fill Bahrain’s Prisons while Police responsible for Murder and Torture Are Free

Journalists in Jail, Abusers Responsible for Murder and Torture Are Free
03 May, 2013 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Violations against the Freedom of the Press in Bahrain are ongoing, and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights is seriously concerned about reports of attacks against journalists and the media in general. Tomorrow, the 3rd of May, we commemorate World Press Freedom day, to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and to remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression. Despite King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa’s pledge to uphold press freedom and reform, conditions over the last year have not improved.
During the last year, several journalists and bloggers in Bahrain have been harassed, assaulted, imprisoned, and allegedly tortured as a result of their work; journalists in the proximity of pro-democracy demonstrations were regularly targeted by security forces. The BCHR has compiled the following of violations that have occurred against the media over the course of the last year.

Arrest and torture of Journalists

On May 16, Ahmed Radhi, a freelance journalist and blogger, was arrestedwithout a warrant by security forces at 4 a.m. after they broke down his door, for criticizing a proposed union of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in interviews he gave to BBC Arabic Radio and the London-based exile television station, Lulu TV. He was reportedly tortured, insulted, and held incommunicado for 10 days after his arrest. Ahmed’s lawyer was not allowed to meet with him until the first week of June, nor was she told what Ahmed was accused of. The BCHR has received a letter written by Ahmed Radhi in which he stated that he was beaten on his head and chest by security forces. He was thrown on a cold and hard floor, handcuffed with his hands behind his back and blindfolded for 48 hours. Ahmed was released on 20 Sep 2012 without a trial.

On December 29, renowned and award-winning photographer, Ahmed Humaidan, was kidnapped by 15 security officers in civilian clothing from a shopping mall in Bahrain, and arrested. According to Humaidan’s family, he was subjected to psychological torture. He was forced to stand up for hours while being handcuffed and blindfolded in a very cold room, holding an unknown object which interrogators told him that its was a timed bomb set to explode. Humaidan is charged along with a group of over 30 persons of burning Sitra police station. However it is believed that Humaidan, who is still in detention, was targeted because of the photographs he takes of the ongoing Bahraini protests.