DUBAI: A Bahraini court on Wednesday began the trial of five Pakistani policemen accused of torturing to death, and concealing information about it two Shia men who had been detained in wake of the mid-March crackdown on pro-democracy protests, a lawyer said.
The two policemen are accused of "beating to death" Ali al-Saqer and Zakeriya al-Asheeri, said lawyer Mohammed al-Tajer, who is the representing the plaintiff families of the dead men.
Three other policemen are also facing charges of "concealing information about the crime," he told AFP by telephone. The charges were filed by the public prosecution.
The trial of the five Pakistani policemen follows a government pledge to punish those behind torturing detainees, following a damning probe which accused police of using excessive force against protesters.
But Tajer, and the opposition, raised concerns that low-ranking officers were apparently being used as scapegoats to cover up what they claim to be the systematic torture of detainees after the clampdown.
"We want... to bring to trial the security bodies that those policemen worked for, whether that is the national security or the interior ministry," said Tajer.
Al-Wefaq, Bahrain's main Shia opposition formation, accused the judicial system of helping in "protecting those really responsible for crimes against humanity in Bahrain," dismissing the trial as being a "mock" one.
"Torture is not just systematic. It is now a policy of the state," it said in a statement.
The interior ministry has accused around 20 policemen of using torture against detainees, Tajer said.
The report by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, commissioned by King Hamad, found 35 people were killed in the unrest, including five security personnel and five detainees tortured to death in custody. Hundreds were injured.
COMMENTS (25)
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Those pakistani policemen deserved it. They were used by the govt for the purpose but its them who in the first place agreed to do it.
we should warn Bahrain by showing our latest nuclear weapons and missiles
Another Sunni brotherly nation using a Pakistani as cannon fodder.
I am surprised that some believed that these poor pakistanis police men did what Bahrain government is putting on trial for! Bahrain government basically found them the easiest way out... Who killed, tortuned and actedcagainst human rights were Bahrain officers.. Bahrain governmentvis a criminal body...
Why can't the Pakistani Government intervene like the americans in the Raymond Davis case?
Is it because Pakistani lives are cheap?
@Noora: Regardless of whether or not the Pakistanis were given Bahraini citizenship ( which no Pakistan really wants or cares about anyhow) these foreign policemen are being made scapegoats for the injustice and corruption of the Arab rulers over their own people. Obviously the Pakistanis went there to work because generally Pakistanis are better workers and more disciplined than Arab workers. I remember an Arab officer telling me that in battle, he would prefer to be beside a martial Pakistani soldier than some fellow Arab since he knew the Pakistani would die doing his duty but that the bravery of his fellow Arab was not to be trusted.
@basil: Basil, you were right. They may be originally Pakistani (the GCC has a low labour force quantity and as you know many Asians migrate to this region) but they are now all Bahraini (or have the citizenship of whatever country they work in.)
Egypt rise against the monarchy - Arab spring Libya mob arrousal - Arab spring Syria public furor - Arab spring
Bahrain shia uprise againt unjust and tyrant monarchy - Terrorism
Here lies the difference
I see. but if they were Bahraini nationals of Pakistani origin, why does this newspaper article or AFP, call them Pakistanis ? That is unfair.
@Amjad Agree, they will be used as scapegoats.
They've used brutal force . Weren't they recruited for the same. They did what they were supposed to.
The Bahraini police force is made up of Bahrainis. Officers might have been originally from Pakistan, but they now hold Bahraini citizenship because they have lived there long enough or passed other requirements that naturalized migrants do. Also, the charges were announced before the end of the independent investigation results, and the results conclusively show that torture was not systematic, and in fact, the report includes more cases of mistreatment (name calling etc.) than torture.
evidently, i didnt know what I was talking about :) Thanks for the info.. But to me it still seems odd for a community to have foreign nationals police them. But whatever works for these guys :)
@basil: Do you know what you are talking about? Many middle eastern countries (including the UAE) hire foreigners as police officers.
Were these pakistani nationals employed as bahraini policemen ? That seems highly unlikely, because I doubt any country allows foreigners to be recruited in the local police. Were the hired on contract as security guards ? Then why called them policemen?
Hanged these Pakistani police men for doing these killing in Bahrain (also same thing for their master who order these killing. (These Pakistani are repeating similar fate of Dhaca 1971 killing. Both Master and servant liable to be hanged till death.
Is there any possibility of discovering the names of these Pakistani policemen? Perhaps you can interview them and then discover exactly what happened to them? Perhaps you could send a reporter to observe their court case? Would make interesting reading.
If the police was following orders then they are being amde scapegoats. the real culprits as always get away scot free. Oh the perils of being an expat in the middle east.
These guys are mercenaries!
These mercenaries knew that their is a civil revolt going on and they also knew the regime has put down the protesters brutally. They were also aware of a Kangaroo Justice system and now Bahrain they will and cannot try any policeman from Saudi or UAE so the scapegoat is a Pakistani will be scarified to justify its showcase trail.
Pakistanis in the gulf doing the bidding of Arab leaders, and then being sacrificed as scape-goats.
What of their Arab masters? Or is it simply scapegoating the low Pakistani mercenaries only? When there's already sectarianism within Pakistan, there's little reason to stupidly get involved in it elsewhere.
@Bishop Dr. Ijaz Inayat: I think we all know that Pakistani policemen are a lot more honest and fair than corrupt Arab policemen. If you need any proof, take a look at Yemen, Syria or Libya to see what their police is like. They are only using the Pakistani policemen to serve as scapegoats for their own unjust policies.
They deserve it but the Bahraini Monarchs are equally guilty.
They thought they were in Pakistan.