Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Bahrain: Reforms risk appearing hollow as violations continue



Amnesty International
17 April 2012

"The Bahraini government's response to the findings of an international commission of inquiry has proved inadequate as human rights violations continue, Amnesty International said in a new report on Tuesday.

The 58-page Flawed Reforms: Bahrain fails to achieve justice for protesters reveals that piecemeal reforms have failed to provide justice for victims of human rights violations, despite the government's insistence that it will learn from the events of February and March 2011.

"With the world's eyes on Bahrain as it prepares to host the Grand Prix, no-one should be under any illusions that the country's human rights crisis is over," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director.

"The authorities are trying to portray the country as being on the road to reform, but we continue to receive reports of torture and use of unnecessary and excessive force against protests. Their reforms have only scratched the surface.....

Prisoners of conscience

Scores of prisoners, tried unfairly in military courts and sentenced to long-term prison sentences, have not been released, even though they were convicted solely for leading and participating in anti-government protests without using or advocating violence.

The cases achieving most prominence involve the 14 opposition members arrested in March and April 2011. The verdict in their appeal case is expected to be heard on 23 April. Several of the men have reported being tortured following their arrest......

Continuing violations by police in the midst of reforms

Following the BICI report, the government has introduced a new code of conduct for members of the security forces, established a new office in the Ministry of the Interior dedicated to investigating complaints against the police and embarked on human rights training for police officers.

But Amnesty International said that in practice, the security forces remain largely unaffected by these institutional changes. Although they have reduced the use of shotguns since late 2011, security forces continue to face protesters with unnecessary and excessive force - particularly tear gas, which has resulted in several deaths in recent months. At least 60 people have now been killed in connection with protests since February 2011......"

Download the Report (pdf)

No comments: