West News Wire: To mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR) on June 26, published a report on the persistence of torture and human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
Following are some of the key points of this report:
Use of torture by Saudi government used as a means to obtain confessions.
The deep culture of impunity that prevails in the country for acts of torture, Saudi officials are not held accountable for their violations of human rights.
Absence of comprehensive legal safeguards such as a right to timely legal counsel, independent medical assistance in Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain’s security and judicial system relies on degrading and dehumanising those who dare to speak out against the government.
Political prisoners serving lengthy sentences in Bahrain have also been tortured during detention and interrogation
Despite the widespread use of torture, medical negligence and the return of the death penalty, Bahrain continues to receive unwavering support from its Western allies, particularly from the US and the UK governments.
UAE activists and human rights defenders who, after completing their prison sentences, have been held indefinitely, without legal basis or charge, in these rehabilitation centers designed for reforming terrorists.
Use of torture and inhuman treatment in detention and during interrogations to receive forced confessions in the UAE
UAE´s authorities have failed to stop the systematic use of torture as a weapon of reprisal and control of the society, especially the dissenting voices.
