F1 Workers Continue to Pay Heavy Price for Noviolent Pro-Democracy Protests last spring

Testimony: Bahrain Formula 1 tortured employee: “In the chamber of Death, I fainted”
22 January, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

The following testimony is for an employee in Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) – the host of Formula1 in Bahrain-, who was tortured behind the offices of (BIC) on 7 April 2011, before getting arrested and tortured even more at the detention centres, along with another 25 other employees. The occurrence of torture has been confirmed by multiple reports including Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, which was appointed by the king. However, many of those involved in torturing, including the ones mentioned in this testimony are still free without accountability. Even after exposing this testimony over Twitter, the victim of torture has received threats for doing so. BCHR keeps identity of the employee private.
The employee’s testimony:

7 April 2011 – I was attacked while I was working at my office. When a group of security officers crushed into my office, appointed the weapon to my head and dragged me, even more they insulted and cursed me, I was in extreme shock. I did not know what is happening and why it is happening. I asked Mr. Bushara Abdo Bushara, BIC Security Manager, what was happening, but the latter slapped me and insulted my mother’s honour with the ugliest and dirtiest words. They put me on the ground, handcuffed me and beaten me severely. One of the intelligence put his foot on my face with the full weight of his body until I felt that my breath would go away. Moreover, they dragged me on ground next to the elevator, cursing and asking me wired and vulgar questions like “How many times did I have sex in roundabout”.

After that, they took me to an isolated room, as soon as I arrived there a Pakistani officer slapped me and insulted me. Few minutes later, the officer came with a picture of my daughter saying “Is this your baby girl?” He started laughing hysterically and said that I would never see her again as I was sentenced to death. I was bleeding nearly for two hours. Then, I was pulled, beaten, insulted, kicked and thrown in a bus full of the other staff, who were not in a better condition.

We, the staff of formula1, have faced many insults, verbal abuse and torturing in our way to Riffa Police Station. When we arrived, a police woman laughed and asked the officer how many sheep do they had this time, and He replied “25 sheep and one goat!” They kept us all in one room blindfolded and asked us to face the wall, that’s when they started beaten us brutally. I was hearing my colleagues screaming as they were subjected to electrical shocks. Later, I reached the maximum, I was in severe pain and I screamed “give me a pen and paper. I will sign and write whatever you want of charges, just stop!”

I didn’t feel my hands as they were handcuffed to my wrist so tight, preventing the blood to reach the veins. I received blows by whips and batons all over my body and my hands. Torture continued for long hours in that room, the room of Formula1 staff. Furthermore, we asked for water, they responded to us with whips and water mains, and replied “You do not deserve even water and will not drink any drop”. By then, they dragged me into a room called the Chamber of “Death”. The corridor leading to that room was full of officers who enjoyed beaten me with all tools that come to mind!! …more