Ten rights groups write to UN special rapporteurs about torture of three journalists

Ten human rights groups have written to Frank La Rue, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, and Juan Méndez, the UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, asking them to investigate the arrests, detention and torture of three Bahraini journalists: reporter Mohamed Hassan, photographer Hussain Hubail and cameraman Qassim Zain Aldeen. All three journalists face trial on charges relating to their reporting on recent protests against the government of Bahrain. They were arrested within a few days of each other in August 2013. The journalists have all reported that they were subjected to torture. Mr Hubail and Mr Zain Aldeen remain in detention, while Mr Hassan has been released on bail. Read the 15 December letter signed by Media Legal Defence Initiative, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain, Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Gulf Centre for Human Rights, Lawyer’s Rights Watch Canada, PEN International and Reporters Without Borders. The letter