US Ally Terrorize and Abuse Children – Cases Documented

Testimonies: Allegations of Child Abuse in Bahrain
May 7th, 2011

Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) documented the testimonies of detainees (have been released recently) and decided to publish some of what has been documented.

BYSHR is deeply concerned about this Allegations of Child Abuse in Bahrain.

First Allegation: 14 years old – Fatima (full name withheld)

Security forces raided our school, and I was arrested amongst a group of students, and force to stand under the sun for a long time.

And she (the student) said, “They forced us to chant pro-government slogans”.

She continues, “We were transported from the school to the police station, and we were beaten and sworn at on the bus that transported us, and they forced us to keep our hands raised up from 10 in the morning till 1 in the afternoon”.

The student says, “In the interrogation room in the police centre, I was asked to disclose the names of the teachers and students that were against the government, I informed them that I do not have any knowledge of them, consequently I was beaten on the face and head, with a water hose”.

She continues, “They wrote an interrogation report and forced me to sign it, and I also had to sign a pledge that I would attend to the police station at anytime of their request”.

Second Allegation: 15 years old – Hassan (full name withheld)

Security forces raided my village, and I was arrested at a location where a group of youth were getting ready to arrange a peaceful rally.

The child says, “One of the security officers in the police car placed a tear gas canister in my mouth and informed me that if I spoke or if the canister dropped from my mouth, he would ignite it and put it in my mouth again. They covered my eyes with a length of fabric and tied my hands from the back”.

The child continues, “As the car was travelling I had to endure beatings and verbal abuse, and one of the security officers began to remove my clothes, and told me that he loves to have relationships with young boys, as I was crying he stopped removing my clothes”.

The boy says, “After they abused us in the police station, we were taken to the ‘Criminal Investigation Building’ and I was questioned regarding the rally and was beaten by people I cannot identify, after this we were escorted to a room with a doctor who then examined us, we were then transported to the Dry Dock Prison”.

He continues, “In the Dry Dock Prison we were forced to chant pro-government slogans, and were beaten and cursed, and were only allowed one meal for more than 10 days, after that we were allowed to have three meals, pray, shower and my tied hands were moved from behind my back to the front”.

And he says, “I have heard sounds of screaming from several of the boys while being tortured and this was very physiologically affecting”. …more