The Human Rights Actions Network - Derechos Human Rights
http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/actions/


                               CHILD CONCERN
                                     
                               BHR 101096.CC

The  International  Secretariat of OMCT/SOS-Torture requests  your  urgent
intervention in the following situation in Bahrain.

Brief description of the situation :
The  Bahrain  Human  Rights  Organisation,  member  of  the  network,  has
expressed  grave concern over further arbitrary arrests and  the  risk  of
torture in recent months, which have involved a number of minors.

The  children arrested are : Ali Jaffer Mohammed Ali, 16,; Ammar  Mohammed
Ali,  16;  Hassan  Mohammed  Ali, 16; Malek Abdallah,  16;  Maythem  Omran
Hussain, 16; Sayed Adnan Sayed Jalal, 17; Ebrahim Naser, 13; Jaffer  Saleh
Al-Ghasrah,  17; Mohsen Khalil Al-Qmaish, 15; and a two month  old  child,
Ammar, arrested with his mother, Nour Alhoda Alqttan.

The  detainees  are  held  incommunicado and denied  access  to  families,
lawyers and medical attention.

Due  to  the  current situation in Bahrain, the International  Secretariat
fears  that all detainees, including the children, run the risk  of  being
tortured.

There  is  also  grave  concern over the dysfunctioning  of  the  judicial
system,  including  the widespread use of torture to extract  confessions,
the  persistence  of  illegal detentions, the  lack  of  counsel  for  the
defence,  allegations that members of the judiciary are appointed  by  the
royal  family.   All  these factors constitute grave breaches  of  several
international standards.

Action requested :
Please write to the Bahraini authorities urging them to :

i.  take   the   appropriate  measures  to  guarantee  the  physical   and
    psychological  integrity  of all children and  order  their  immediate
    release;

ii. put an end to torture and arbitrary detentions of children;

iii.guarantee  a full and impartial enquiry into the facts concerning  the
    detention  of  children,  identify those responsible,  bring  them  to
    trial,  and  apply  the  penal, civil and/or administrative  sanctions
    provided by the law;

iv. guarantee  at  all times the respect for human rights and  fundamental
    freedoms  in  the  country,  in  accordance  with  national  laws  and
    international standards.

Addresses:
His  Highness  Shaikh ^ŅIssa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, Office of His  Highness
the Amir, P.O. Box 555, The Amiri Court, Rifa^Ņa Palace, Bahrain.
Fax : + 973 668884. Telex : 8666 Qasar BN; 8500 Qasar BN
His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister,
P.O. Box 1000, al-Manama, Bahrain.
Telex : 9336 PROM BN or 7889 PMPO BN
His  Excellency  Shaikh  Muhammad  Bin Khalifa  Al  Khalifa,  Minister  of
Interior, P.O. Box 13, al-Manama, Bahrain.
Fax : + 973 276765 or 290526. Telex : 9572 PSMKT BN OR 8333 ALAMAN BN

Geneva, 10 October 1996

Kindly  inform us of all action undertaken quoting the code number of  the
    present appeal in your reply.


Ben Schonveld
Projects Manager

OMCT - SOS Torture Tel: +41-22-733 31 40 
Case Postale 119   Fax: +41 22-733 10 51
CH 1211 Geneva 20  Conf: omctsostorture@conf.igc.apc.org
Switzerland        OMCT@iprolink.ch

OMCT is the l'Organisation Mondiale contre la Torture
             The World Organisation Against Torture