Worker remanded over mistreatment of two horses in Karzakan
The Public Prosecution has ordered the pretrial detention of a stable worker accused of mistreating two horses in Karzakan after CCTV footage allegedly showed him attacking the animals.
The Northern Governorate Chief Prosecutor said the Public Prosecution received a report from Southern Hamad Town Police Station concerning the incident after the stable owner noticed wounds and injuries on two horses.
According to the prosecution, surveillance footage showed the worker attacking one horse with a knife and throwing stones at another, causing injuries to both animals.
The suspect was questioned and confronted with the investigation findings and the CCTV footage. He admitted to the allegations, following which the Public Prosecution ordered his detention pending the investigation and preparation for his referral to criminal trial.
Stable owner Ayman Mahdi said he had noticed three horses dying at the stable since the beginning of August before discovering that his one-year-and-five-month-old Spanish horse, Safi, had suffered a deep stab wound.
Mahdi said Safi had been healthy when he last saw him. A veterinarian decided not to stitch the wound over concerns that fluid could accumulate and cause it to rupture. The horse is currently receiving antibiotics and topical treatment.
Mahdi said the worker, a 41-year-old Nigerian national, had appeared friendly and gentle with the animals, and he had not suspected that he could mistreat them. The worker reportedly said the horses’ noises had disturbed him while he was sleeping.
Lawyer Manal Dhahi said Bahraini legislation provides criminal protection for animals and criminalises various forms of harm, torture, neglect, and mistreatment.
She cited Articles 411, 415, and 416 of the Penal Code, which provide penalties for certain offences involving the killing, poisoning, serious harm, overworking, torture, or mistreatment of animals, as well as failure to provide proper care.
Dhahi said legal protection extends beyond direct physical violence to include neglect and failure to provide necessary care.
Mahmood Faraj, Chairman of the Bahrain Society for Animal Welfare, called for tougher penalties, saying current fines and prison terms may not provide sufficient deterrence.
Abdulla Hassan, a wildlife photographer and member of the Bahrain Society for Animal Welfare, said penalties should reflect the severity of harm caused and that fines should at least cover treatment costs.
He also stressed that animal mistreatment can include inadequate food, shelter, and care, particularly during the summer, when high temperatures increase risks to animals and livestock.
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