Sir, – Prof Damian McCormack (September 6th) claims a 14-year-old boy has been the “most recent victim” of the Kingdom of Bahrain. This is not true, and it is unfortunate that this tragedy is being used to make political points.An official autopsy has found that the death could not have been caused by the firing of a gas canister by the security forces, as some have claimed. It was found that there were multiple wounds and that the fatal blow could not have been caused by such an object. Bahrain’s public prosecution has confirmed that lab tests on the body and clothes of the teenager proved that there was no trace of tear gas. Additionally there was no security forces activity at the alleged time of the incident, and the boy’s body was left at a hospital by unidentified individuals.
The matter is still under investigation and the ministry of interior has offered a $26,500 reward for information about this sad incident.
Prof McCormack also refers to the treatment of medical staff during protests earlier this year. It is true some medics have been charged with criminal activities, including taking control of a medical centre during the protests and “politicising” the building; refusing treatment to the wounded on the basis of “sect affiliations”; using the centre for demonstrations; stealing equipment; and even at times using it as a prison where foreigners were detained.
In the UK and Ireland, as in other democratic countries, it is only right that this kind of behaviour should be fully investigated and criminals putting lives at risk be brought to justice. – Yours, etc,