Protesters dying from torture in Bahrain

Press TV has conducted an interview with Ralph Schoenman, political analyst, Berkeley, about the issue of ongoing and continuous torture in Bahrain particularly after the recently held Formula One Grand Prix event.

The following is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV: We hear of a well known cleric in Bahrain his house being vandalized and ransacked by regime forces. How bad is the situation going to get there?

Schoenman: It gets worse by the day. I want to emphasize that the report by Human Rights Watch, which was just issued two days ago is very detailed and very specific.

Since April 2013 there have been numerous cases in which there have been torture of prominent human rights activists and women, some of whom were involved in protesting the Formula One Grand Prix race in April.

In fact, Juan Mendez the special rapporteur of the United Nations was refused admission after he was there to inspect the reports and concluded that five people detained in connection with protests died as a result of torture in custody.

In fact, Sarah Lee Whitson the Middle East Director of Human Rights Watch declared that Bahrain’s allies must take responsibility and investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the brutal torture of activists.

So the detention and torture of people is an ongoing situation; it’s not merely a recent one, it’s a continuous one.

One May 2, police officers in civilian clothes forced their way into the home of Najif Vature a prominent rights activist who was subjected to electric shocks, suspended from the ceiling and subjected to waterboarding – as reported directly to Human rights Watch.

He is a member for the Bahrain Youth society for Human Rights and the authorities have no compunction in subjecting him to torture. They forced him to sign a confession under threat of further torture and they continue with his torture. This is ongoing since May 9th, a little more than a week.

In other cases, two women who were holding a protest near Bahrain international circuit were also detained and these women themselves were subjected to electrical torture.

Rights groups in Bahrain have told Human Rights Watch that these women have been sustained in their mistreatment, what their lawyers and family members call repeated subjection to electric shock.

This is a pattern that is overwhelmingly clear, repeated and continuing, Human Rights Watch protests it; no one does anything about it.