Manama: Bahrain’s Ombudsman has referred 19 policemen to criminal courts and 14 to disciplinary courts in one year.

The action was in accordance with the directive by the Interior Ministry to deliver on its promise for human rights compliance, Ombudsman Nawaf Al Mouawda said in his second annual report.

The report, covering the May 2014–April 2015 period, said the Ombudsman Office received 908 complaints and requests for assistance, marking a 375 per cent increase over the previous year with its 242 complaints.

“Efforts have been made over the last year to develop operational and administrative competence and to further develop investigation capacity,” the report said. “Additional investigators and support staff have been appointed, the Office computerised Complaint Management System (CMS) is now fully operational, serious incident and death in detention investigation methodologies have been further developed and staff have attended an ongoing programme of training and continuous development,” the report said.

According to the report, a “significant number of those making complaints or submitting requests for assistance visited the Ombudsman Office in person.”

Complaints can also be submitted through boxes placed in the main police stations in every governorate in Bahrain and arrangements are being made to place boxes in rehabilitation and detention centres.

The report said that action had been taken in response to recommendations from the Ombudsman.

“They include the new building programme at Jau Reform and Rehabilitation Centre with significantly upgraded detainee facilities and dedicated space for the delivery of purposeful, rehabilitative activity, the new dedicated facilities at Dry Dock Detention Centre to house convicted young people aged between 15 and 18 away from the general population and action to ensure that all police vehicles have clearly visible unique identification numbers on the sides.”

The report said the Ombudsman Office launched investigations into 11 deaths, including the death of an inmate murdered in Jau prison.

Four of the deaths, a suicide, two drug overdoses and one torture case, occurred at Bahrain’s main prison in Jau.

‘Important’

“It was important for us to investigate all complaints seriously related to prisoners and detainees to ensure they are not subject to ill-treatment,” Al Mouawda said. However, we also take seriously the right of police officers and staff who do their jobs professionally and investigate all complaints, including false allegations,” he told the media at the release of the report.

According to the report, “such investigations identify any important learning that might prevent future tragedies or improve the care of those who are ill or vulnerable.” “In reporting the death investigations, particular concerns are identified in relation to the number of deaths where the use of non-prescribed medication or illicit substances caused or contributed to the death,” the report said. The Ombudsman Office added that it was also working closely with the various communities, “engaging and sharing information and experience locally and internationally.”

“In Bahrain, this included visits to educational establishments such as the University of Bahrain and the Applied Science University and open communication seminars that included the Indian, Pakistani and Filipino communities in Bahrain.”

Al Mouawda said the Ombudsman Office was pleased with the progress made.

“It was a great honour to be awarded this year the Chaillot Prize for the promotion and protection of Human Rights in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” he said.

The Chaillot Prize is presented annually to civil society organisations and public or private institutions for actions, campaigns and projects which support human rights awareness, promotion and protection in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

It is named after the Palais de Chaillot in Paris where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly.

Al Mouawda said the task facing his Office was always going to be challenging. “Delivering a fully impartial, independent service that is evidence-based and deals with everyone — those making complaints and those complained about — in a way that is fair and just, requires the highest standards of integrity and decency,” he said. “My staff and I take that responsibility very seriously indeed and we will continue to make every effort, as we move forward, to further improve and build upon our early efforts to do justice to our important task.”