Bahrain's leading opposition party has rapped a government report that acknowledges "instances" of abuse in dealing with anti-regime protests, insisting that the repression against the demonstrators is a "systematic" effort.
The opposition party al-Wefaq said in a statement on Tuesday that the US-backed regime of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa is trying to avert responsibility for "violations leading to numerous fatalities and hundreds of injuries on junior security personnel," AFP reported.
The al-Wefaq statement reiterated that the brutal crackdown on protesters was "systematic" and the result of a "planned" regime policy.
Bahrain's Information Affairs Authority admitted on Monday that there have been "instances of excessive force and mistreatment of detainees" during months-long protests. It also claimed it had begun prosecuting 20 officers involved in the crackdown, adding that more steps will be taken.
Al-Wefaq stated that the abuses could not have taken place without the prior knowledge and approval of high-ranking Bahraini officials.
It added that the "ultimate responsibility lies with top decision makers rather than junior officials and soldiers."
Meanwhile, human rights groups released a “shadow report” on the rights violations in the US-sponsored Persian Gulf kingdom, ahead of a planned release of a report by the regime-backed Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI).
The 84-page shadow report, which is compiled by the Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS), Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, and some other local nongovernmental organizations, was issued at a press conference in Manama.
The local rights groups reported 1,500 cases of arbitrary arrest, 1,866 torture cases, as well as 2,710 summary sackings. They also reported that 477 students have been expelled for allegedly participating in the demonstrations.
The Physicians for Human Rights group also reports that doctors and nurses have been detained, tortured, or disappeared because they have "evidence of atrocities committed by the authorities, security forces and riot police" in the crackdown on anti-government protesters.
"Society as a whole was targeted through the arbitrary arrest of doctors, nurses, teachers, academics, athletes, businessmen, and prominent opposition leaders who called for peaceful democratic change," the report noted.
Thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging demonstrations in Bahrain since mid-February, demanding political reforms and a constitutional monarchy -- a demand that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family following its brutal crackdown on popular protests.
Scores of people have also been killed and many others have been injured in the Saudi-backed crackdowns on peaceful protesters in Bahrain.
source : http://abna.ir
