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Testimony from Bahrain: Father of Human Rights Activist

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English Translation of the father of Majed Salman Ebrahim, a human rights activist that remains in custody in Bahrain.

Learn more and take action at http://www.bahrainrights.org

They took us to see Majed. After four of the families saw their detained relatives they called us. We went in and after a moment they brought Majd. If a father sees his son, before he was taken and after, from one look a father can tell what has happened to his son. The first thing I saw was that he had broken down. Physically, I could see that he had been tortured, especially form his hands. When I asked him what they did to him, he kept looking at the security man standing by the door. He was afraid to say one word.

That’s how I knew that he had been threatened not to say anything. I kept asking him, what are these wounds. I could see handcuff wounds and some more wounds on his hands. My mistake was that I didn’t lift his shirt to see the beating on his body. But two security men were standing by us not even letting us talk. They were not Bahraini. When I kept trying to talk to him I felt like he couldn’t hear me well. Every time I talked to him he kept putting his hand on his ear. So I got up and put my hand on his ear and he started screaming. His ear drum has exploded. I put the responsibility on the government. If ANYTHING happens to my son, they will be the ones held responsibility. And I demand that a committee of human rights activists and journalists visit the detainees in the prisons right now. So that they can see the beating on their bodies. Not after 2-3 weeks, but now. I heard that after the visits they have transferred the detainees to Hawth al Jaaf (prison).

Then I noticed he wasn’t wearing his glasses, I asked him “where are your glasses?” Because I know when he doesn’t wear them his eyes get weaker and he gets headaches. My son turned to the security man and said “I told you I need to wear my glasses”. I asked the security “why didn’t you give him his glasses?” He said “we’re afraid the glasses will break if he wears them”. I said “if they break, we’ll pay for them, we’re the ones responsible for him, not you.” I told him to give my son his glasses back, this is the most basic right, that the prisoner has his glasses while he is detained. My son cannot see without his glasses. Then my son told me, “please pray for us, especially at night. Especially at night”. So I ask you all to pray for them.

I found out that they torture them at night. At 2am they come to the detainees and start torturing them. I sat with him for only 5 minutes. There is one week left until his university project deadline and his graduation. But emotionally he was broken. He tried to look strong for us, but a father and mother know their son from his eyes. And all of you fathers know that you can tell if your sons are tired or if there is anything wrong with them from the way they look at you. This is the responsibility of the government. And if they claim this is a democratic country and we have freedom they must let human right activist and doctors and journalists visit the detainees in prison now. And we want the international organizations to come and see what happens to detainees here in Bahrain.

Woman in audience “The detainees condition is very critical now”

I saw my son and his clothes were all torn and he was shaking all the time. When I left to go to Hajj I left my son in the best condition, and whenever I called him he was good and well and when I come back I find out they arrested him and attacked our house and broke all the doors. Even though there was nobody at home. Which law says that if you go to arrest someone and he is not home to break all the doors? Who is responsible for that? They broke all the doors.

Audience: this is their freedom. The detainees haven’t even seen their lawyers yet. What law is this? Our sons will die….

Who is going to make sure he gets treatment for his ear in there? Will they just put him in the hands of anyone?

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