Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Recommendations

Info

Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry forces also rang the doorbell. In a small minority of cases, witnesses reported that security forces entered through windows. 1140. Investigators received photographs of broken doors, windows, furniture (beds, closets, drawers, cabinets, etc) and personal items. The destruction documented in these photographs was not limited to a single room and included living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms and hallways. 1141. Personal items included those of both financial and sentimental value. Many witnesses stated that security forces deliberately broke the turba (stone used for prayer amongst Shia) as well as pictures of religious and political leaders. Commission investigators received photographs of some of these destroyed items. 1142. Additionally, investigators interviewed 264 detainees at detention centres and prisons. Most of those detainees alleged that during the arrest security forces intentionally destroyed doors, furniture and other household items. In some instances, these allegations were corroborated by relatives who also provided statements to the Commission. 1143. Some witnesses complained of damage to cars that were parked outside houses. Commission investigators received several videos showing security forces destroying cars outside houses, but those videos were not taken during the period of arrests described in this Section. 1144. A number of complainants reported that their cars were seized in the context of arrests and that they have not been able to recover the cars. The MoI has confirmed that the cars seized in connection with arrests as well as other cars seized in connection with the events of February/March 2011 have all been placed in a stockyard in an area outside the city. A Commission investigator has verified that such a location exists and that it is full of cars, most of which have been damaged, presumably during the seizure and transportation to this location, and that they have been further damaged by having been kept there for periods of up to six months. This form of seizure of personal property is confiscatory and deprives persons of their right to property. c) Theft of Property 1145. The Commission received 16 complaints that members of the security forces stole property from inside the house in the course of the arrest. The stolen property included electronic equipment such as mobile phones, computers and laptops, as well as personal items such as jewellery, perfume and money. The MoI told Commission investigators that the electronic equipment was seized as evidence against the arrested persons. 573 1146. Some of the stolen items were subsequently returned to the owners. However, a large majority of those who attempted to retrieve their property were told that security forces had no records of the property having been 573 Minutes of meeting between Commission investigators, the Minister of Information and the Head of Legal Affairs, 9 September 2011. 274
Chapter VI — Allegations of Human Rights Violations Against the Person taken. In other cases, detainees stated that they had seen their property in court being used as evidence against them. Some of the witnesses alleged that when they asked about their items, they were told that they were “spoils of war”. 1147. The Minister of Interior assured the Commissioners that security forces always respected the laws of Bahrain. However, he admitted that they had investigated three cases of police misconduct and that the offenders had received harsh penalties. 1148. The NSA denied that any of their personnel had ever stolen anything. However, they indicated that they had heard of some cases of police misconduct, but they had no details to share with the Commission. 2. Applicable Law 1149. This section outlines the international and national legal obligations relating to arrest and detention. In particular, the Commission notes that Bahrain is a State party to the ICCPR 574 and the revised Arab Charter on Human Rights (Arab Charter). 575 Furthermore, inhuman treatment is forbidden under the Constitution of Bahrain, the Bahrain Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure. Entering homes and searching for persons are activities covered by the Bahrain Code of Criminal Procedure (2002). The Constitution of Bahrain also states that dwellings are inviolate. a) International Law 1150. Article 9(1) of the ICCPR provides: “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law.” Article 9(5) provides: “Anyone who has been the victim of unlawful arrest or detention shall have an enforceable right to compensation.” Article 10(1) further provides: “All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.” 1151. In regard to the inviolability of the home, article 17(1) of the ICCPR provides: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honour and reputation.” Article 17(2) provides: “Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.” 1152. Article 14(1) of Arab Charter on Human Rights provides: “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, search or detention without a legal warrant.” In regard to the inviolability of the home, article 21 of the Arab Charter mirrors article 17 of the ICCPR. 574 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966. 575 Arab Charter on Human Rights, adopted by the Council of the League of Arab States on 22 May 2004, UN Doc. CHR/NONE/2004/40/Rev.1, entered into force 15 March 2008. 275
Page 1:
REPORT OF THE BAHRAIN INDEPENDENT C
Page 4 and 5:
Report of the Bahrain Independent C
Page 6 and 7:
Page 8 and 9:
Page 10 and 11:
Page 12 and 13:
Page 14 and 15:
f. Sexual Abuse; g. Rapes; Report o
Page 16 and 17:
Page 18 and 19:
Page 20 and 21:
Page 22 and 23:
Page 24 and 25:
Page 26 and 27:
Page 28 and 29:
Page 30 and 31:
Page 32 and 33:
Page 34 and 35:
Page 36 and 37:
Page 38 and 39:
Page 40 and 41:
Page 42 and 43:
Page 44 and 45:
Page 46 and 47:
Page 48 and 49:
Page 50 and 51:
Page 52 and 53:
Page 54 and 55:
Page 56 and 57:
Page 58 and 59:
Page 60 and 61:
Page 62 and 63:
Page 64 and 65:
Page 66 and 67:
Page 68 and 69:
Page 70 and 71:
Page 72 and 73:
Page 74 and 75:
Page 76 and 77:
Page 78 and 79:
Page 80 and 81:
Page 82 and 83:
Page 84 and 85:
Page 86 and 87:
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Monday, 21 February 2011 Report of
Page 98 and 99:
Tuesday, 22 February 2011 Report of
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
Page 132 and 133:
Page 134 and 135:
Page 136 and 137:
Page 138 and 139:
Page 140 and 141:
Page 142 and 143:
Page 144 and 145:
Page 146 and 147:
Page 148 and 149:
Page 150 and 151:
Page 152 and 153:
Page 154 and 155:
Page 156 and 157:
Page 158 and 159:
Page 160 and 161:
Page 162 and 163:
Page 164 and 165:
Page 166 and 167:
Tuesday, 22 March 2011 Report of th
Page 168 and 169:
Page 170 and 171:
Page 172 and 173:
Page 174 and 175:
Page 176 and 177:
Page 178 and 179:
Page 180 and 181:
Page 182 and 183:
Page 184 and 185:
Page 186 and 187:
Page 188 and 189:
Page 190 and 191:
Page 192 and 193:
Page 194 and 195:
Page 196 and 197:
Page 198 and 199:
Page 200 and 201:
Page 202 and 203:
Page 204 and 205:
Page 206 and 207:
Page 208 and 209:
Page 210 and 211:
Page 212 and 213:
Page 214 and 215:
Page 216 and 217:
Page 218 and 219:
Page 220 and 221:
Page 222 and 223:
Page 224 and 225:
Page 226 and 227:
Page 228 and 229:
Page 230 and 231:
d. Deaths of expatriate workers Rep
Page 232 and 233:
Page 234 and 235: Report of the Bahrain Independent C
Page 258 and 259: Unattributed deaths Report of the B
Page 332 and 333: a. March 2011 Report of the Bahrain
Page 334 and 335:
Page 336 and 337:
Page 338 and 339:
Page 340 and 341:
Page 342 and 343:
Page 344 and 345:
Page 346 and 347:
Page 348 and 349:
Page 350 and 351:
Page 352 and 353:
Page 354 and 355:
Page 356 and 357:
Page 358 and 359:
Page 360 and 361:
Page 362 and 363:
Page 364 and 365:
Page 366 and 367:
Page 368 and 369:
Page 370 and 371:
Page 372 and 373:
Page 374 and 375:
Page 376 and 377:
Page 378 and 379:
Page 380 and 381:
Page 382 and 383:
Page 384 and 385:
Page 386 and 387:
Page 388 and 389:
Page 390 and 391:
Page 392 and 393:
Page 394 and 395:
Page 396 and 397:
Page 398 and 399:
Page 400 and 401:
Page 402 and 403:
Page 404 and 405:
Page 406 and 407:
Page 408 and 409:
Page 410 and 411:
Page 412 and 413:
Page 414 and 415:
Page 416 and 417:
Page 418 and 419:
Page 420 and 421:
Page 422 and 423:
Page 424 and 425:
Page 426 and 427:
Page 428 and 429:
Page 430 and 431:
Page 432 and 433:
Page 434 and 435:
Page 436 and 437:
Page 438 and 439:
Page 440 and 441:
Page 442 and 443:
Page 444 and 445:
Page 446 and 447:
Page 448 and 449:
CASE NO. 8 (Examined by forensic te
Page 450 and 451:
Page 452 and 453:
Page 454 and 455:
Page 456 and 457:
Page 458 and 459:
Page 460 and 461:
CASE NO. 21 (Examined by forensic t
Page 462 and 463:
Page 464 and 465:
Page 466 and 467:
Page 468 and 469:
Page 470 and 471:
Page 472 and 473:
Page 474 and 475:
Page 476 and 477:
Page 478 and 479:
Page 480 and 481:
Page 482 and 483:
(Examined by forensic team) Date of
Page 484 and 485:
Page 486 and 487:
Page 488 and 489:
Page 490 and 491:
Page 492 and 493:
Article Five. Report of the Bahrain
Page 494 and 495:
Page 496 and 497:
Page 498 and 499:
Page 500 and 501:
Page 502 and 503:
Royal Decrees Royal Orders Report o
Page 504 and 505:
Page 506 and 507:
Page 508 and 509:
Page 510 and 511:
Page 512 and 513:
show all

Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?