Bahrain Mirror: Member of Bahrain's Special Investigation Unit affiliated to the Public Prosecution, Mohammad Khalid Al-Hazza, said that the unit received last August, 21 complaints, including 8 torture allegations, 12 on mistreatment, and one about excessive force used by general security forces and has launched its investigations.

In the framework of the cases presented before the unit, the SIU listened to the statements of 39 witnesses and interrogated 21 suspects from the general security forces. It also referred 5 aggrieved parties to the special forensic physician affiliated to the unit to examine them in order to identify their injuries (if there were any), when they occurred and how. Meanwhile, 3 other aggrieved parties were referred to a psychiatrist affiliated to the unit to undergo the required psychological evaluation to see whether they suffer from psychological effects.

He added that the unit has launched a supplementary investigation in one of the previous cases and ordered referring 3 accused to the First High Criminal Court over torturing a suspect in a case of acquiring drugs for trafficking. The unit concluded its investigations by referring 2 other policemen, with the same charge, to court. The case is still pending in the specialized court and adjourned until October 5, 2015.

Al-Hazza concluded his statement by saying that the First High Criminal Court acquitted five policemen, including a lieutenant, in a case of torturing a detainee over charges of selling drugs in order to extract confessions and information from him regarding the charges brought against him. The unit is now looking into the reasons of the submitted acquittal to consider the possibility of appealing if possible. 

Arabic Issue