Bahraini princess on trial for torturing detainees

A Bahraini princess who works as a police officer is on trial for torturing two doctors while they were in detention during political unrest in the Gulf Arab kingdom in 2011, according to a senior official at Bahrain's Public Prosecutor's office.   

Sheikha Noura bint Ibrahim al-Khalifa is also facing a separate trial for physically assaulting Aayat al-Qormozi, a young female Shi'ite opposition activist, while she was in detention during the same period, Nawaf Hamza, head of the Public Prosecution's Special Investigation Unit, told Reuters.   

"The charge is that she used torture, force and threats against the victims Zahra al-Sammak and Kholoud al-Durazi to make them confess to a crime," Hamza, referring to the two doctors, told Reuters by telephone.   

According to Sammak's lawyer, the alleged torture took place in March and April 2011, a period when the U.S.-allied kingdom was convulsed by unrest following the start in February of demonstrations led by majority Shi'ites demanding democratic change in the Sunni-led monarchy.   

Reuters submitted a request for comment from Sheikha Noura on the charges against her to her lawyer, Fareed Ghazi. He responded later saying he had spoken to her but that she did not wish to comment.  

"Of course, she denies all the charges against her," Ghazi said, referring to the allegations at issue in both of the trials.   

An independent commission said thirty-five people died during the unrest and two months of martial law that followed, but the opposition puts that number at more than 80.


REUTERS