I. Methodology

Human Rights Watch visited Bahrain in June 2009 and interviewed 20 individuals who had been detained by Bahraini security forces over the prior 18 months, beginning in December 2007. Most of those interviewed had been released in mid-April 2009, when the king issued a pardon freeing 178 persons who had been detained on security-related charges.[1]

Of the 20 individuals interviewed, 10 had been detained in connection with violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces in Jidhafs village in December 2007 (Jidhafs case). Two had been detained in connection with incidents in March and April 2008 in and around Karzakan village (Karzakan case).Human Rights Watch also interviewed a detainee who had been arrested in February near Karzakan in connection with a separate incident. The remaining seven had been detained in connection with a case known as al-Hujaira, the name of a district in Damascus, Syria, where the defendants had allegedly gone to train in making explosives (al-Hujaira case). The cases are explained in more detail in the next chapter.

The majority of the individuals interviewed had been involved with committees or groups—such as the Unemployment and Low Income Committee, and the Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy—that are associated with the opposition movement and whose members are drawn largely from the country’s majority Shia Muslim population. Some individuals had not been involved with such committees or groups, but regularly attended opposition rallies and protests. Observant to varying degrees, all 20 individuals interviewed are Shia Muslims.

Human Rights Watch attempted to meet with other individuals detained in connection with these cases, but many did not speak with us for fear of retribution. Several of those we did meet with spoke to us on the condition that we not identify them. Many of those we interviewed said that Bahraini officials had warned them not to speak about their treatment in custody.

Human Rights Watch also spoke with several of the defense attorneys in the Jidhafs, Karzakan, and Hujaira cases as well as Bahraini journalists and human rights activists. In addition, Human Rights Watch interviewed officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior.

Human Rights Watch conducted all interviews in English, or in Arabic with the assistance of a translator.

Human Rights Watch also reviewed documents and records generated by the Bahraini courts, the Public Prosecution Office, and security forces. Further, Human Rights Watch examined medical reports authored by government doctors regarding complaints of mistreatment by individuals detained in connection with these cases.[2]