15 Bahrain police on torture charges

Bahrain's chief prosecutor announced on Monday that 15 police officers will be charged with torturing doctors arrested during opposition-led unrest that swept the kingdom early last year. Nawaf Hamza, chief investigator in the prosecutor's office, said in a statement he was officially making known that members of the forces of law and order would face torture charges resulting from the unrest. He said the charges were being brought following an inquiry launched on the basis of a complaint by doctors at Salmaniya hospital, the main medical facility in the capital Manama. "This procedure confirms the intention of the Bahrain government to bring to account all those found guilty of human rights violations and to recompense the victims," Hamza said. The complainants, also numbering 15, had said they were badly treated during their detention. Some of them underwent medical examination during the inquiry. The 15 doctors and five staff at Salmaniya had been accused by the authorities of supporting the opposition during the protests. Bahrain came under strong criticism from international human rights organisations over last year's crackdown on the protests. An international panel commissioned by King Hamad to probe the government's clampdown found out that excessive force and torture had been used against protesters and detainees. Human rights watchdog Amnesty International says 60 people have been killed since the protests first erupted in February last year. From:Gulftoday