His Excellency Sheikh Muhammed bin Khalia al Khalifa
Minister of the Interior
P.O. Box 13
al-Manama, Bahrain

Your Excellency:

I wish to express my concern regarding the death of Sa’id ‘Abd al-Rasul al-Iskafi, a 16-year-old student who died while in police custody in Bahrain in July 1995. He had been summoned for interrogation by State Security Intelligence on suspicion of having sprayed anti-government graffiti on walls near his home. After ten days in confinement, his family was told to pick up his body at the Military Hospital. I understand that his body allegedly bore traces of severe torture and, reportedly, he and at least one other child had been sexually assaulted during their imprisonment.

One and a half years have passed since the death of Sa’id ‘Abd al-Rasul al-Iskafi, and still the Bahraini government has not brought to justice those responsible for his torture and death.

Your Excellency, surely you must understand that this climate of impunity simply allows the ugly cycle of torture to continue in your country. I urge you to use your influence to ensure that, without exception, accurate and immediate investigations into all instances of ill-treatment, torture and death in custody are carried out. Provisions should be put in place ensuring that juvenile detainees are held only in officially recognized places of detention. All detaining officials should be clearly informed that the use of torture violates international human rights standards and will not be tolerated. And torturers must held accountable for the criminal acts they commit.

Respectfully yours,