Bahrain Mirror: The Bahrain Human Rights Society called for an independent and transparent investigation into all complaints of torture, and cruel or degrading treatment, pointing out that the special investigations unit (an official body) received 237 torture complaints over 16 months only.

On the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the society said that it looked into the horrific official numbers announced by the special investigations unit that indicates receiving 237 torture and maltreatment complaints over a period of 16 months.

The society added that this government institution had received during the first four months of this year (2015) 111 complaints of victims who were tortured or insulted and 30 complaints from prisoners in Jaw Central Prison regarding torture cases, considering this a very grave matter that calls for serious work in order to take immediate measures by the competent parties to stop the acts of torture and hold accountable everyone who practiced a torture crime, since it's a heinous crime whose perpetrator shouldn't be left unpunished.

The society called for an independent and transparent investigation into all complaints of torture, and cruel or degrading treatment and for allowing the special UN rapporteur on torture to visit prisons and detention centers in Bahrain in addition to competent local and international institutions.

BHRS stressed on guaranteeing the protection of those who report torture crimes and not questioning any suspect without the presence of a lawyer, while guaranteeing that the accused contacts his family and lawyers since the moment of his arrest, also not taking the confessions extracted under torture into consideration, considering the charges raised against the accused to be dropped by the rule of law in case he was tortured, and releasing the detainees and prisoners incriminated as a result of being subjected to torture or due to the confessions of confidential witnesses

BHRS also called for limiting the culture of impunity and not excluding anyone who exercises torture, gives orders to commit acts of torture or facilitates a crime of torture.

The Arabic Issue