Two United Nations human rights experts have appealed today to the Government of Bahrain to spare the lives of Mohammad Ramadan and Hussein Moosa, who are at risk of imminent execution, and to ensure a re-trial of the defendants in compliance with international standards.
In a statement, the two UN experts said that the two convicts, who had their death sentences confirmed in late 2015, were allegedly tortured while in prison, coerced to confess their crime, and not allowed to have proper legal assistance.
"Under international law, there is an absolute prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," said the UN Special Rapporteurs on summary executions, Agnes Callamard, and on torture, Nils Melzer.
"The Bahraini authorities have the duty to investigate all allegations of human rights violations committed during the proceedings, including torture by security forces during interrogations," they emphasized.
The experts also expressed grave concern at the executions by firing squad on 15 January of Abbas al-Samea, Sami Mushaima, and Ali Abdulshaheed Yousef al-Singace for a bombing in Manama on 2014, which had killed several people, including three police officers.
According to allegations received by the experts, these executions were carried out following proceedings in contravention to international standards. All three men were reportedly coerced to confess under torture, including methods such as electric shocks and sexual humiliation. They reportedly were also denied access to adequate legal assistance.
"In countries that have not abolished the death penalty, capital punishment may be imposed only following a trial that complied with the most stringent guarantees of fair trial and due process," the UN Special Rapporteurs said. "Any death sentence executed after a trial failing to meet these standards is tantamount to an arbitrary execution," they went on to say.
