Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Bahraini security forces regularly detain children with no reason and subject them to ill-treatment that may amount to torture.The rights organization said in a report on Sunday that information received from victims, family members and local human rights activists showed children are often being held in detention for long periods and subjected to beatings and threats of torture, like adult detainees.
Rounding up kids, throwing them in jail and beating and threatening them is no way for a country to treat its children, Joe Stork, HRWs Middle East and North Africa director said.
The human rights group in the Persian Gulf kingdom had informed HRW about the arrest of children suspected of being involved in anti-regime protests.
The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights says it has recorded 22 incidents in which children were detained since August 21.
The Bahraini authorities need to look into these allegations and immediately call a halt to any arbitrary arrests and mistreatment of children, Stork also said.
The Bahraini uprising began in mid-February 2011.
Bahrainis primarily called for political reform and a constitutional monarchy, a demand that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family following its brutal crackdown on popular protests.
On September 9, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) that she was frustrated with reports of human rights violations in Bahrain.
She called on Manama to fully comply with its international human rights commitments, including respect for the rights to freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.
By Press TV
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