Bahrain Mirror: In an open letter, 153 medical professionals, including two medical organisations, with Amnesty International called for Dr 'Ali al-'Ekri's immediate release on the fifth anniversary of his arrest for treating injured protesters and criticisng the excessive force used by the armed forces against them.

The undersigned medical professionals, together with Amnesty International, expressed their concern that Dr ‘Ali ‘Esa Mansoor al-‘Ekri remains in prison, held solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and assembly.

The letter pointed out that al-'Ekri was tortured and otherwise ill-treated during interrogation. He said he was subjected to beatings, kicking, threatened with police dogs and forced to lick the floor, the soles of the policemen's boots and forced to eat faeces. He also reports that he was sexually molested and threatened with rape.

He was also deprived of sleep for a week. He reports that he was forced to 'confess' to possession of weapons, heading a militia and occupying the hospital.

The undersigned urged the Bahraini authorities to release Dr ‘Ali ‘Esa Mansoor al-‘Ekri immediately and unconditionally and called on them to investigate his allegations of torture and other ill-treatment and bring to justice those responsible.

Arabic Version