Bahrain
20.04.17

Time to Address Systematic Torture - Open Letter to the CAT

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BahrainCenter for Human Rights (BCHR)
Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy(BIRD)
Gulf Centerfor Human Rights (GCHR)
InternationalFederation for Human Rights (FIDH)
OrganisationMondiale contre la Torture (OMCT)
Reprieve


Our organisations write to urge you to reiterateBahrain’s obligations under the Convention Against Torture («the Convention») andgiveimmediate attention to:

  • the systematicuse of torture against political detainees ;
  • the use oftorture to obtain false confessions ;
  • relianceupon evidence obtained through torture to achieve convictions, including deathsentences ;
  • the refusalto investigate allegations of torture in detention facilities;
  • thedeteriorating conditions of detention for activists and Human Rights Defenders;
  • the government’s continued refusal to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention AgainstTorture («OPCAT») and allow the UN Special Rapporteur on torture to visit thecountry.
Next week, Bahraini authorities will appear before your Committee in Geneva, as part of the Committee’s regular review ofthe Bahraini government’s record under the Convention. Over the years, Bahrain’s government has failed to implement most of the CAT’s recommendations, especially those related to its systematic failure to holdtorturers accountable, particularly members of the security forces. By specificallypushingthe Bahraini delegation to acknowledge the systematic use of torture, you would be making a valuablecontribution toward genuineaccountability for torture victims in Bahrain.

As documented by our organisations, torture is aconstant presence in Bahrain’s judicial system, used systematically to coerce confessionsduring pre-trial interrogations and threaten and punish detainees whilst theyare imprisoned in detention facilities. The Bahraini government has launched anintensified crackdown on civil society in the past year, and in January itbroke a seven-year executionsmoratorium by executing three torture victims, all of whom were convicted basedon confessions they claimedwere extracted through torture.

Moreover, the Bahrainihuman rights institutions purportedly tasked with carrying out independent andIstanbul Protocol-compliant investigations of torture complaints have insteaddone the opposite,acting to cover up torture allegations and refusing to investigate them. Thiscontinues to exacerbatethe near-total impunity afforded tomembers of Bahraini security forces accused of torture. Compounding thisculture of impunity is the refusal of Bahrain’s European allies, some of whomhave invested millions in the training of these human rights institutions, toacknowledge that such technical assistance and international support should bemade conditional upon demonstrable improvements in torture accountability—such asratifying OPCAT and allowing a visit by the Special Rapporteur on torture. These developments demonstrate how important itis for the Committee to urge Bahrain to acknowledge and address thecountry’s abysmal record on torture. Specifically, we ask that you urge theBahraini government to:

- Take immediate action to halt the inhumane treatment and harassment of detained humanrights defenders and activists like Abdulhadi Al -Khawaja[1] and Nabeel Rajab[2];
- Provide information about thetreatment of Mr Al-Khawaja and Mr Rajab;- Immediately stay all deathsentences in cases where the accused alleges he was tortured into providing afalse confession, pending full investigation by an independent body;- Establish new, demonstrablyindependent accountability mechanisms empowered to conductinvestigations into allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of detaineesand prisoners, with the recognition thatfuture international support will be linked to Bahrain’s ratificationof OPCAT and agreement to a visit from the UN Special Rapporteur on torture

[1] see Urgent: Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja in need ofurgent access to medical care to prevent lasting vision loss ; http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/8615

[2] Bahrain: Further Information: Growing HealthConcerns for Prominent Activist: Nabeel Rajab http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/8636

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Human rights defenders