Detainee’s death: SIU rejects torture theory

Manama : The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) yesterday rebuffed the photographs of the Bahraini terrorist suspect’s body depicting him of being subjected to torture prior to his death.

Stating that the photographs were fake, the SIU said in a statement that “fake pictures of the body were circulated on social media networks with the aim of creating propaganda for the torture claims.”  

Hassan Al Hayki, 35, was one of three suspects accused of receiving military training in Iran and Iraq, and planned the terrorist explosion in East Eker on June 30 this year, killing a Bahraini woman and injuring three of her children.

SIU member Isa Al Mannai said, “The SIU noticed that the deceased’s photographs appeared on several social media websites were fabricated. The video and the photographs of the deceased taken before and after the autopsy clearly prove that there were
no injuries.”

As reported earlier, several parties of the opposition alleged that Al Hayki was tortured to death, while official announcements confirmed that he died of a cardiac arrest.

Following the ‘torture’ allegations, SIU had conducted an independent investigation.

He informed that “the Unit has completed its investigations in the case of a detainee who died at the Dry Dock on July 30”.

“The cause of his death was natural and any criminal suspicion was ruled out after the SIU questioned all the detainees in the same ward. They stated that they had not noticed any injuries on the detainee. His (Al Hayki’s) father, wife and sister concurred that they had not noticed any injuries on him when they visited him during his detention,” Al Mannai clarified.

“The SIU also heard the statements of the Detention Centre’s on-duty physician, guards and police personnel. They said they transferred the detainee to the clinic immediately after the other detainees in the same ward called for assistance,” he explained. 

“He was shifted to hospital where he died. The Unit viewed the minutes of the Public Prosecution’s questioning of the detainee on July 12 for his involvement in a terror case. It also viewed the Police questioning report. No records mentioned that he was subjected to any torture,” he pointed out.

“The SIU also viewed the report compiled by the forensic doctor, who examined the detainee. He also did not indicate any sign or trace of criminal violence, resistance or scuffle. The officers who arrested and detained him were also questioned. But they dismissed any sort of torture of the detainee during his arrest and detention process,” Al Mannai said.

“The forensic doctor assigned by the SIU to examine the body concluded that there was a myocardial infarction (blockage) of the arteries feeding the heart muscle. His death was the result of a cardiac arrest, which concurs with the symptoms sustained by the deceased before his death and mentioned by his fellow detainees,” he elaborated.  

“The unit assigned the Criminology Lab to examine the deceased’s attire, and the tests proved that they did not have any traces of blood,” the officer added.