Three Bahrain police officers acquitted of prisoner death

Manama : Three personnel of the Ministry of Interior involved in torturing an inmate to death case have had their sentences overturned on appeal. They, including a major and two lieutenants, were earlier handed down jail terms ranging between 12 months and three years. However, the High Criminal Appeals Court acquitted them due to lack of evidence. Three other defendants serving in the same Ministry, meanwhile, have had their jail terms reduced after they appealed their 5-year jail term sentences. 

They were given two years in prison each instead. The defendants are implicated in the death of Bahraini Hassan Al Shaikh, who was found motionless in a solitary confinement at the Reform and Rehabilitation Centre in Jaw Prison after being brutally beaten up. Two other prisoners were also attacked along with the deceased during the incident, but they survived with severe injuries.  

The major and two lieutenants were accused of allowing the abuse to take place at the Reform and Rehabilitation Centre in Jaw Prison on November 5 and 6 in 2014, while the other trio were indicted of beating up the inmates and causing the death of the inmate.   

They reportedly attacked the inmates after they found that there was an attempt to smuggle drugs taking place. They also tried to extract forced confessions from the victims.    

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 that he could hear the screams of the inmates. 

All the defendants earlier pleaded not guilty. It’s worth noting that the family of Al Shaikh had earlier  dropped the lawsuit against the defendants after being paid BD65,000 in compensation. But the Public Prosecution carried on with the trial against the accused.