HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- Britain silent on 'Butcher of
Bahrain'
Tony Thompson, crime
correspondent
Sunday June 30, 2002 The Observer The Government has been accused of
stalling attempts to prosecute a British citizen accused of running a brutal
regime of torture in Bahrain in order to protect the UK's relationship with the
Arab state.
Scots-born Colonel Ian Henderson, dubbed the 'Butcher of Bahrain', spent 30
years as head of the Bahraini secret police. During this time his men allegedly
detained and tortured thousands of anti-government activists.
Their activities are said to have included the ransacking of villages,
sadistic sexual abuse and using power drills to maim prisoners. On many
occasions they are said to have detained children without informing their
parents, only to return them months later in body bags. Between 1994 and 1998 at
least seven people died as a result of torture at the hands of the Bahraini
regime.
Human rights organisations have collected evidence from thousands of victims
of the regime who have provided horrific accounts of the torture they suffered.
Yaser al-Sayegh's case is typical. 'My wrists were shackled to my ankles and
they suspended me upside down from a pole,' he said. 'They then beat me on my
legs and feet and face with iron bars and rubber hoses.'
Hashem Redha, a Bahrainian pro-democracy activist who now lives in Britain,
said he was attacked personally by Henderson. 'He tortured me one time. He
kicked me and shook me two times. He said, "If you like to be hit, we can hit
you more than that".'
A Carlton documentary, Blind Eye to the Butcher, to be screened on Wednesday,
reveals that despite solid evidence torture took place on many occasions, a
two-year investigation by Scotland Yard's Serious Crimes Branch and questions
being asked in Parliament, Henderson has never been interviewed about the
allegations.
However, under international law, he would be responsible for acts of torture
carried out under his command, regardless of whether he was personally involved.
A file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service last August but police
say they are still waiting for a response.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly called for an
investigation into the allegations but believe successive governments have been
reluctant because of Britain's close ties with the Arab state. Britain has 85
defence staff based in Bahrain and members of the country's armed forces are
invited to defence colleges in this country for training.
Since retirement, Henderson has spent much of his time living at an extensive
property called Stoke Shallows on the edge of Dartmoor where his neighbours know
nothing of his past. He continues to travel frequently to Bahrain where he
remains an adviser.
In the programme Henderson denies allegations of torture and refused to take
part in any discussion. However, he issued a statement saying there was no truth
in any of the allegations.
The Home Office refused to comment on allegations of torture in Bahrain.
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