Urgent Appeal: Maternity Admin Mr. Younis Ashoori: Health at Risk
 

04-03-12 07:35 PM

http://bahrainrights.hopto.org/BCHR/...03/Ashoori.jpg
March 4th, 2012
60-year-old administrator of the Muharraq Maternity and Geriatrics Hospital Younis Ghuloom (Ashoori) is serving a three year sentence while suffering from chronic urinary stone recurrences which needs a surgery, enlarged prostate, heart problem history and a type of migraine which leaves him temporarily paralysed.
On March 20th, 2011, between home and work, Ashoori was reportedly kidnapped by masked men who came in 15 police cars. He was blindfolded, handcuffed and taken to an unknown location. His family searched for him in all police stations including the one in which he was detained (AlHidd police station), where his wife was told to report him as 'missing'. Nobody knew anything about Ashoori until 18 days later where he was allowed to make a short wiretapped phone call to his wife to tell her not to talk to media or human rights activists because they promised to release him in "2 days" if he signs some papers. Two months later police called and told his wife to hire a lawyer for Ashoori’s trial which was to be held in 2 days.
Ashoori saw his wife for the first time during his first hearing at military court on June 2011, where he was accused of transferring oxygen cylinders for injured protesters in their field clinic. On September 29th, 2011 he was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment and sent to Jaw Central prison on confessions extracted under torture, threat and medications denial, as well as fabricated accusations and allegations of a 'secret witness' who the Court never brought forward. The court also refused to allow defense witnesses during the trial. Ashoori was forced to sign papers while blindfolded and during torture, extracted confessions which were then used against him in court.
For the first 2 weeks in custody, Ashoori was subjected to various types of torture. He was banned from taking medication he takes regularly for prostate, bladder/kidney, heart disease and a severe type of migraine. He was also threatened to have his wife and sisters brought and raped in front of him, was beaten with a hosepipe, slapped, punched in the face and stomach, hung upside-down (Faylaqa), kept in solitary confinement, and subjected to verbal attacks based on his religious beliefs. Ashoori spent his first 2 months in same cloths without being allowed to shower, using only 1 cup for both drinking water and urinating in.
When Ashoori was transferred to the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital (BDF) for urinating blood, the doctor there asked him where he was in pain the most. Ashoori responded that it was his kidney. The doctor then proceeded to punch him on that area.
When Ashoori's wife tried to return her husband’s confiscated car, she was told by Officers to leave her husband because she is Sunni, reportedly telling her that she can receive the car once she brings documents showing the divorce. Seven months later she was finally able to retrieve the vehicle which was vandalized and broken.
During the time in which Ashoori was in jail, a large number of masked men in 7 police cars broke into Ashoori's home in the middle of the night, and individually interrogated his wife in her bedroom where she was not allowed to get dressed. They then proceeded to beat her son in search of Ashoori younger brother's address before they broke into the latter's home. They raided his bedroom, slapping his wife, stealing their jewellery and cash, blindfolding Ashoori’s brother after which they took him to an unknown destination.
Ashoori is a father to a 19 year old son and is a well-known-to-all; kind, loving, caring person, and a devoted hard worker who always went the extra mile in performing his duties all along the 35 years of his service within the Ministry of Health.
Ashoori is sick and in need of immediate medical attention and surgery. He is not allowed regular check ups and only when his health deteriorates extremely is he taken to a doctor where he is given pain killers.
Based on the information provided above, the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), calls on the government of Bahrain to unconditionally and immediately release Younis Ashoori as there has been no evidence of any crimes on his part, and due to his immediate need for medical attention.


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