Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Reporters without Borders (RSF) condemned on Friday (November 20, 2015) the Bahraini Justice Ministry's arbitrary decision not to prosecute those responsible for torturing journalist Nazeeha Saeed under the pretext of insufficient evidence.

Nazeeha Saeed was tortured and humiliated for 13 hours in 2011 at the Rifa'a police station when she responded to a summons for questioning about her coverage of pro-democracy demonstrations in the Bahraini capital, Manama.

Reporters without Borders is outraged by this decision by the special investigation unit that is responsible for monitoring and investigating human rights violations by the security forces.

"This decision is unacceptable," said Alexandra El-Khazen, the head of the Reporters without Borders Middle East desk. "The way this case has dragged on for years with no tangible results shows a lack of any real desire to shed light on the matter."

"Those responsible for these actions should be tried, as should those in the chain of command who are implicated. We call on the authorities to take the necessary measures to bring these years of impunity to an end," El-Khazen added.

"I am dismayed that I am unable to obtain justice in my country despite all the evidence I provided," said Saeed, who is demanding a new investigation into the actions of the police because she says her case is well documented and she has all the necessary proof and information.

Saeed's case offers an insight into the way the police treat journalists in her country. Eight journalists and five citizen-journalists are currently detained in Bahrain, according to a Reporters without Borders tally. They include the famous photojournalist Ahmed Humeidan and freelance photographer Sayed Ahmed El-Mousawi. After repeated postponements, El-Mousawi's trial is now scheduled to begin on 27 November. Badly tortured while in prison, he is facing a possible sentence of five to ten years in prison on charges of giving SIM cards to "terrorist" protesters and taking photos of anti-government demonstrations.

Bahrain is ranked 115th out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters without Borders press freedom index issued on the onset of 2015

Arabic Issue