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Footballers corroborate torture by hired security forces will imprisoned

Bahrain’s soccer stars tortured in custody
The Times – July 09, 2011 12:00AM

BAHRAINI footballers, including stars of the national team, were tortured while in custody during a crackdown on anti-government protesters this year, The Times has learnt.

The testimony given to The Times directly contradicts assurances given to FIFA, football’s governing body, by the Bahrain Football Association that no players had been suspended or mistreated.

In fact, friends and relatives said a number of players were subjected to beatings in prison after they were arrested for taking part in a demonstration against the ruling al-Khalifa family in March.

Other sportsmen have told of long interrogations and ritual humiliation in jail. The victims included A’ala Hubail, a striker, his brother Mohammed and goalkeeper Ali Saeed, all members of the Bahraini football squad.

Sitting in a community centre in the Shia village of Sitra, near the capital, Manama, they were too afraid to speak about their treatment and would say only that they did not know whether they would be allowed to play football again. The Hubail brothers had had their heads shaved. Mohammed had bruises on his feet.

Friends and relatives said the men had been threatened with further abuse if they spoke out, but gave details of what they knew of the men’s treatment in jail.

“The first two weeks after they were arrested were the worst. They were beaten all the time. They still have marks on their bodies,” said one close relative, who did not want to be named.

When the brothers appeared in court, military police officers on duty went up to shake their hands, some asking for autographs.

“But the men who were beating them were not Bahraini. They didn’t care who they were,” said a friend of the players. “These men are loved by the people, Sunni and Shia. You are British: imagine David Beckham gets arrested and tortured. It’s unthinkable.” …more