Concern over Bahrain dead and missing

Human rights campaigners say they're very concerned at the number of recent mysterious deaths and disappearances amid anti-government protests in Bahrain.

SBS's Dateline managed to gain access to the country to speak to Human Rights Watch, which has been investigating the death of 32-year-old father of two, Hani Jumah.

The group says he was attacked by riot police, even though he wasn't part of any protest. He was taken to hospital and his condition stabilised, but security officials found him and took him away. What happened afterwards is unclear.

“His body turned up approximately four days later and the family was just told to come and collect the body.”, Tirana Hassan from Human Rights Watch told reporter Yaara Bou Melhem on last night's program.

Demonstrations are officially banned, but his funeral quickly turned into an anti-government protest attended by hundreds of people.

Disappearances

There's concern too for people who've gone missing, like the uncle of democracy activist Zeinab Al Khawaje.

“About 50 soldiers entered the house. They were all masked, only their eyes visible.”, his wife Fatima says. “They put guns to their heads and told them, if you don't say where the men here are we will shoot you.”

He was taken away and hasn't been heard from since.

“There needs to be an investigation into those that have been disappeared.”, says Tirana Hassan from Human Rights Watch. “Information needs to be made available on where people are and what charges, if any, they are being detained.”

Intimidation

Yaara also found intimidation of those trying to speak out.

Nabeel Rajab from the Bahrain Human Rights Centre was confronted at his house by 25 masked men with guns. They were police, military and thugs, outraged over his work as a human rights activist.

“While I was here, in front of my children, they were insulting me, saying all these sectarian statements and speech and accusations and telling me that you have to prepare yourself, we're going to rape you now.”, he says.

Nabeel was bashed and interrogated for three hours before being released. He says he considers himself lucky.

“We have more than 100 people missing. We don't know if they're dead or alive. We have a lot of people got arrested, many political and human rights figures, human rights defenders are in detention now.”

Government response

Bahrain's minister for foreign affairs says investigations are already under way, but not among his security forces, only into activists who've been locked up.

“I don't want to interfere with the course of justice. They will be tried before the courts and we will see the evidence against them.”, says Sheikh Khalid Al Khalifa. “Let's not affect the course of the justice now and let's wait to see what the court says.”

He also insists that the protests have nothing to do with anti-government sentiment, but are the result of tensions between Shias and Sunnis.

Three's more in Yaara's report, Bahrain's Dark Secret, which can be viewed in full on the Dateline website.