‘Torture’ injuries self-inflicted
by mahmood on 14/01/10 at 8:03 am
Nine men standing trial for murder inflicted injuries on themselves and tried to pass it off as police torture, a medical examiner told Bahrain’s High Criminal Court yesterday.
The Bahrainis claimed they were beaten into confessing by police, but Dr Hatim Mahmood Nabeel told judges that was unlikely during a gruelling two-and-a-half hour session.
They are standing trial for the violent murder of Pakistani Shaikh Mohammed Riaz, who died after his vehicle was firebombed in a village last March.
“The medical report dismissed the torture allegations because after I examined the injuries, I concluded that they were self-inflicted,” Dr Nabeel, 38, from Egypt, told the court.
“Such wounds occur when someone hits himself or if gets another person to hit him.
“Plus one defendant confessed to causing the injuries with a metal rod.”
At one point defence lawyers asked Dr Nabeel to examine a defendant in court.
Judges agreed and ordered policemen to escort the Bahraini to the front of the courtroom next to the witness stand, where Dr Nabeel reviewed his report and examined his wounds.
“These wounds are self-inflicted,” he concluded, causing uproar in the court.
The Public Prosecution medical examiner’s testimony sparked a heated debate and defence lawyers argued it was impossible for the injuries to be self-inflicted – particularly since the men were being held in solitary confinement.
“They suffer from burnt arms, slashed backs, bruised faces and plucked nails – all these are self-inflicted?” questioned lawyer Mohammed Al Tajer as he illustrated the injuries with pictures.
“His (Dr Nabeel’s) report also states that such injuries can be caused by falling or hitting a solid object. “How can someone lose a nail by falling?
“These men are being held in two police stations, but somehow they all have similar injuries.
“He (Dr Nabeel) is biased because he works for the Public Prosecution.”
Seven defendants appeared in court for the hearing, while two, who were released because they turned themselves in, failed to show up.
A warrant for the arrest of a 10th suspect has been issued.
During the session it emerged that filmed footage existed of the alleged attack and defence lawyers requested access to the CD.
The footage, which was reportedly shot by someone at the crime scene and posted on the Internet, is apparently being held by police in the Central Governorate.
Mr Riaz, 58, died from injuries he suffered when his pick-up truck was allegedly ambushed in a Molotov cocktail attack in Ma’ameer. The nine suspects, aged 17 to 25, are also accused of rioting and arson as well as possessing and making Molotov cocktails.
One defendant was yesterday allowed to leave the hearing and go back to his cell because he suffers from multiple sclerosis, after lawyers argued he couldn’t sit or stand for a long time.
Judges later agreed to a request for a doctor to examine him and provide defence lawyers access to his medical reports from Psychiatric Hospital. They also summoned Dr Sadiq Al Akir, who treated Mr Riaz at Salmaniya Medical Complex before he died, to testify along with a lieutenant who investigated the alleged attack. The trial was adjourned until February 21.
Source: GDN
