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UK Diplomats Closely Monitor Trial of Bahraini Activist Following Reports about Her Torture in Police Station Headed by Officer Trained in UK

2018-05-10 - 7:27 p

Bahrain Mirror: UK Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Alistair Burt, said that officials from the British Embassy in Bahrain were present at the court hearing for Najah Ahmed Yousif, whom "Vice" website published a report about her, stressing that she was tortured and sexually assaulted in Muharraq security complex. The website also revealed that the senior officer responsible for the complex received training in the UK.

Burt said in his answer to question raised by MP Roger Godsiff that UK officials will continue to monitor this case closely.

"Vice" website stated that Fawwaz Al-Hassan, brother of chief of public security in Bahrain, and the ultimately responsible for the police station where Najah was interrogated and sexually assaulted, received training in Britain in 2015 to deal with protestors and collect intelligence data. It has become known that the security complex headed by Al-Hassan is one of the strongholds of Bahraini intelligences "national security" that witnessed the torture of dozens of activists last years.

Responding to another question raised by MP Anna McMorrin about the recent punitive measures against Nabeel Rajab in Jaw Prison, Burt said that the British government raised the case of Nabeel Rajab at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain. However, he reiterated his calls to resort to relevant human rights oversight bodies in the country.

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-04-27/139037/  

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