Bahrain: Seven police officers charged with torture

last updated Sep 18, 2012

Seven police officers have been charged over the torture and abuse of several arrested medics during last year’s anti-government protests. Two of the accused policemen face the “most serious” charges of extracting confessions by using torture. The other five face lesser charges.

: Clashes between security forces and protesters on 13 March; Source: http://bahrain.viewbook.com/album/newphotosfrommarch?p=1&s=UA-22319045-1

According to the government, all coerced confessions were eliminated from the trial against a number of medics who were arrested and charged for provoking sectarian hatred, keeping weapons in the medical centre and denying Sunni Muslims access to the hospital. Nine of the medics have been released while nine others received shorter jail terms.

The charges are the most significant actions against security forces since the beginning of the unrest between the Sunni-led ruling system and the nation’s Shiite majority 19 months ago.

BBC News: Bahrain police officers face torture trial

Aljazeera: Bahrain charges police officers with torture

AoT: Bahrain: Convicted medics report torture in custody

Bahrain country profile