Bahraini Family Prevented from Examining Martyr's Body

Navideshahed: It was until Monday when Bahraini martyr Salah Al-Balladi’s family was allowed to receive the body of its son who was killed by the Bahraini security forces on the eve of Formula One race.

News ID: ۳۴۶۳۰۵

جمعه - ۲۸ تير ۲۰۱۲ / 2012 28 April

Speaking to the martyr’s cousin, Ali Qattan, Al-Manar website learned that this was the second martyr in the family who was killed during protests, as 16-year-old Ahmad Qattan was also killed a couple of months ago in a protest in Abu Saiba region.

“Martyr Salah was the one who carried martyr Ahmad’s body, and he was the one who washed him, dug his grave, and buried him,”? Ali said, pointing out that “Salah was the first witness on the killing of Ahmad, but in Bahrain, no witness dares to present his testimony because he would be the next target… only a few days after the testimony, he will be thrown into jail.”?

On Salah’s case, Ali told Al-Manar website that the family was prevented from examining the body of Salah at first.

“They (security apparatuses) did not allow us, and when the family and the neighbors gathered, they began shooting and throwing tear bombs,”? he said, adding that “after they claimed that the measures were completed and after the insistence of the family, his brother was permitted to look only at the face of martyr Salah to identify him… we received the body 48 hours after the crime.”?

Moreover, Ali indicated that “the coroner’s certificate asserted that Salah’s death was the result of using (the internationally forbidden) fission shotgun against him.”?

He stressed that “the Interior ministry will disavow this certificate which convicts the security forces, just as it did before,”? knowing that in the case of Ahmad Qattan, the Interior Ministry issued a statement claiming that the bullets in Ahmad’s body did not match the kind used by the Bahraini security forces.

Ali Qattan: Authorities are Responsible, We Have to Trust them
Ali stated that “the body examination as well as witnesses’ testimonies revealed that the martyr was moving away and avoiding any clash with the security forces when there was gunfire, just like most of the protestors were doing. Yet, the security forces kept on chasing the protestors and arrested five of them after severely beating them.”?

“They also chased martyr Salah and another protestor and fired fission shotguns at them, which led to the Salah’s intense bleeding and martyrdom.”?

The martyr’s cousin pointed out that the security forces have intensified measures against protestors since the preparations for the Formula One race began, in attempt to prevent demonstrations.

“Photographers could see the demonstrations, and this would distort the image that the regime is trying to present as the defender of human rights,”? he considered.

In conclusion, Ali said that “we demand punishing the criminals, and of course the political and security authorities are behind this crime… even though we have no faith that the authority intends to attain justice or punish any killer.”?

“The martyrs’ families see that the political societies’ demands are the basis for any political solution,”? he assured.

The End
Source: Shiite News

Speaking to the martyr’s cousin, Ali Qattan, Al-Manar website learned that this was the second martyr in the family who was killed during protests, as 16-year-old Ahmad Qattan was also killed a couple of months ago in a protest in Abu Saiba region. “Martyr Salah was the one who carried martyr Ahmad’s body, and he was the one who washed him, dug his grave, and buried him,”? Ali said, pointing out that “Salah was the first witness on the killing of Ahmad, but in Bahrain, no witness dares to present his testimony because he would be the next target… only a few days after the testimony, he will be thrown into jail.”? On Salah’s case, Ali told Al-Manar website that the family was prevented from examining the body of Salah at first. “They (security apparatuses) did not allow us, and when the family and the neighbors gathered, they began shooting and throwing tear bombs,”? he said, adding that “after they claimed that the measures were completed and after the insistence of the family, his brother was permitted to look only at the face of martyr Salah to identify him… we received the body 48 hours after the crime.”? Moreover, Ali indicated that “the coroner’s certificate asserted that Salah’s death was the result of using (the internationally forbidden) fission shotgun against him.”? He stressed that “the Interior ministry will disavow this certificate which convicts the security forces, just as it did before,”? knowing that in the case of Ahmad Qattan, the Interior Ministry issued a statement claiming that the bullets in Ahmad’s body did not match the kind used by the Bahraini security forces. Ali Qattan: Authorities are Responsible, We Have to Trust them Ali stated that “the body examination as well as witnesses’ testimonies revealed that the martyr was moving away and avoiding any clash with the security forces when there was gunfire, just like most of the protestors were doing. Yet, the security forces kept on chasing the protestors and arrested five of them after severely beating them.”? “They also chased martyr Salah and another protestor and fired fission shotguns at them, which led to the Salah’s intense bleeding and martyrdom.”? The martyr’s cousin pointed out that the security forces have intensified measures against protestors since the preparations for the Formula One race began, in attempt to prevent demonstrations. “Photographers could see the demonstrations, and this would distort the image that the regime is trying to present as the defender of human rights,”? he considered. In conclusion, Ali said that “we demand punishing the criminals, and of course the political and security authorities are behind this crime… even though we have no faith that the authority intends to attain justice or punish any killer.”? “The martyrs’ families see that the political societies’ demands are the basis for any political solution,”? he assured. The End Source: Shiite News