A cry for justice over ‘deliberate’ sea attack of Bahrainis

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The injured survivors have confirmed that the Qatari coastguard boat “deliberately” rammed their boat causing it to capsize that led to the death of their “nukhadha” or boat captain.

They added that the Qatari security men “abandoned” the drowning victim despite their pleas to rescue him.

The heirs of the boat captain are calling for justice by prosecuting those responsible for his death.

Public Prosecutor Nawaf Al Awadhi said the Ministry of Interior Coast Guard has received a request for justice from the heirs of the captain who was killed in an assault on his boat by Qatari Coast Guard that also led to the injury of fishermen on board.

The heirs included in their request a final ruling issued by the competent civil court in Qatar requiring the Qatari authorities to compensate them for the role of those responsible for the death and injuries.

The heirs have called for the criminal prosecution of the officials in Qatar who caused the killing, Al Awadhi said.

According to the case documents, the Public Prosecution had received a notification from the Bahraini Coast Guard in which the Qatari authorities informed them about intercepting the victim’s boat and colliding with it, which caused it to capsize.

At that time, the Public Prosecution launched a probe and issued decisions to investigate the incident and its circumstances, to determine its territorial scope, and to address the Qatari security authorities to obtain the record of the incident, its circumstances, and the measures taken.

Al Awadhi said that the Public Prosecution heard the heirs as well as the injured victims who confirmed that the collision by the Qatari boat was deliberate and in a way that inevitably led to death.

Their action actually caused the boat to capsize, the men to fall overboard and the “nukhadha” to drown, they said.

The victims added that the Qatari security abandoned the “nukhadha” despite their pleas to assist him.

The fishermen were subsequently held and were ill-treated by the Qatari authorities and denied the medical reports that confirmed their injuries.

Al Awadhi said that the Public Prosecution has taken measures to address the competent authorities in Qatar to obtain an official copy of the verdict issued in the civil case and to learn about the criminal procedures taken against those responsible for the incident.