Activists urge probe into Bahrain prince torture accusations

So far, three Bahraini activists have reported to rights groups that they were personally beaten by Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the king’s eldest son.

“He committed many crimes against the Bahraini people and especially the prisoners,” said a Bahraini torture victim.

On Tuesday, the High Court in London ruled that the Bahraini prince, a frequent visitor to the UK, was not immune from prosecution, meaning the police can arrest him the next time he sets foot in Britain.

Lifting of Nasser’s immunity would be considered a great victory for Bahrain’s exiled activists in the UK, who demonstrate every time the prince shows up.

“Many thousands of Arab youths are languishing in jails and are being tortured. Unless the immunity of those torturers is lifted, that will continue,” said Saeed Shehabi from the Bahrain Freedom Movement.

The Bahraini royal family member is the commander of Bahrain's Royal Guard and president of the Bahrain Olympic Committee.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.

On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on peaceful protesters.

According to local sources, scores of people have been killed and hundreds arrested.

On June 10, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) censured the Manama regime for human rights violations in the country. A total of 46 members of the international body expressed deep concern over the Al Khalifa regime’s crackdown on peaceful protesters.

HK