Death of jail inmate: Court verdict on May 31

High-ranking officials face charges of torture, murder

DT News Network

Manama

A new ruling date has been set in the trial of six personnel of the Ministry of Interior, including three high-ranking officers, accused in connection with the torture of three inmates locked up for drug-related charges, which resulted in the death of one of the prisoners. Though the verdict was scheduled to be delivered yesterday, the High Criminal Court has decided to announce it on May 31. This came after the family of the murdered man yesterday waived their right to sue the defendants after being paid a compensation of BD65,000.  

The defendants are implicated in the death of Bahraini Hassan Al Shaikh, who was found motionless in a solitary confinement after being brutally beaten up. Two other prisoners were also assaulted, but they survived with severe injuries. Among the defendants, three of them are charged with assaulting and torturing three prisoners besides a civilian, whom they held in custody without an arrest warrant. 

They were also indicted of lynched Al Shaikh to death. The other three defendants include a major and two lieutenants, who were accused of allowing the duress at the Reform and Rehabilitation Centre in Jaw Prison on November 5 and 6 last year.  Al Shaikh was found dead in his cell on November 6 after he was fatally attacked by the first, second and third defendants, according to court files.  

The latter was a lecturer at the Centre, where he was conducting an awareness workshop on drug abuse. He allegedly found that one of the victims'  brother attempted to smuggle drugs into the facility during visiting hours.  He tipped off two policemen from the Anti-Narcotics Directorate and all the three then interrogated the inmate, his brother and two other prisoners.

They held the inmates in solitary confinement for two days and kept the brother in custody without an arrest warrant.

The incident was reported to the Public Prosecution after Al Shaikh was found dead in his cell due to the brutal torture he had suffered at the hands of the trio.  A prison guard, who was on duty at the time of the assault, told prosecutors he could hear the screams of the inmates. All the defendants earlier pleaded not guilty.