Military trail upheld – Nurse Hassan Matooq three years in prison for Photo-documentation of al Khalifa Crimes against protesters in hospital
Counterfeit justice in Bahrain: Court of Cassation upholds the military provisions of the illegitimate National Safety Court
Military provisions against freedom of expression upheld: three years in prison for the photographer and Nurse Hassan Matooq
Despite many reports confirming the absence of the conditions for fair trials, arbitrary detention, and the occurrence of torture, hundreds are still in prison. The international community must act immediately to guarantee justice for victims in light of the vast amount of information
2 Dec 2011 – BCHR
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights is deeply concerned with the news that the Court of Cassation has on November 28, 2011 upheld a provision issued by the Military Court (the Court of National Safety) which previously sentenced the nurse and photographer Hassan Matooq to 3 years imprisonment in a move that reveals the government’s intent to continue violations of human rights, in particular the right to a fair trial, protection from torture and freedom of expression. Matooq is serving a prison sentence for his photography activities during the protests.
Hassan Matooq, 30 , a pediatric nurse for more than 7 years, is married with one child and practices photography as a hobby.
On March 24, 2011, after declaring a state of national safety and the start of the mass arrests campaign, Matooq was arrested by more than 20 army masked men from the Salmaniya Hospital, where he was present on duty after midnight. Matooq was exposed to beating, kicking and verbal abuse from the moment of arrest, and even his ring was stolen from his finger by one of those involved in arresting him.
During his detention, Matooq was severely beaten and hung by his hands for up to 8 days at a time. He was prevented from sleeping and threatened that his wife and sister would be raped in front of him. His camera and all the films, as well as his wife’s car which he used to go to work on the day of his arrest, were all confiscated. …source
