Bahraini prisoner beaten to death: report

Rasa - The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) express grave concern over al-Shaikh’s death and urge an immediate and impartial investigation into the circumstances of his treatment in government custody.

News ID: 1631

Date: 14 November 2014 - 22:25

RNA - The 36 year-old Hasan Majeed al-Shaikh was found dead at Bahrain’s Jaw prison On 6 November 2014.

Al-Shaikh was serving a ten-year prison sentence for so-called "drug-related" charges. He had been placed in solitary confinement for being in possession of a mobile phone. On 5 November, al-Shaikh was briefly removed from solitary confinement, only to be returned in the evening after reportedly being physically abused.

Prisoners reported hearing screams from al-Shaikh’s prison cell several hours before prison guards removed his body. Interlocutors within the prison also report that several other individuals were beaten in connection with his death.

The Director-General of the Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science departments announced al-Shaikh’s death and mentioned that it may have occurred under "dubious circumstances".

Al-Shaikh’s family visited the morgue on the evening of 6 November, where they were allowed to see the body.

The family confirmed the presence of bruises and wounds on al-Shaikh’s head and face. Al-Shaikh’s skull and jaw appeared to be broken, and were told that his kidneys had ruptured.

Rasa News has also learned that the prisoner's family was not allowed to take photos of the body and has yet to receive the autopsy report. BCHR was able to examine photos taken before al-Shaikh’s burial to confirm the physical abuse.

R111/108/B/