KUWAIT: A delegation from the National Diwan for Human rights represented by the head of the Permanent Committee for Anti-Torture, Racial Discrimination and Combat Human Trafficking, Zakaria Al-Ansari, the Head of the Complaints Committee, Ali Al-Baghli and a member of the Permanent Committee for Anti-Torture, Taher Al-Baghli, visited Abdullah Fahad Tami in the hospital after news of being mistreated by the men of the General Department of Weapons Investigation.
Tami said that he was arrested in connection with case of being accused of possessing a weapon by the General Department of Weapons Investigation. He stated that he was deprived of his right to call or contact a lawyer during the investigation period and was mistreated, he also stated that he submitted an official complaint to the prosecution against those who mistreated him.
The National Diwan for Human Rights believes that the torture claim made by Abdullah Tami carries much evidence that supports his claims, and urges the investigation authorities and the General Directorate of implementation to deal with the case transparently with allowing the National Diwan to follow up with the procedures.
The national Diwan for Human Rights also supports what the Ministry of Interior has done by forming an investigation committee to deal with the claims and hopes that appropriate measure will be taken to prevent repeated cases of torture, and requests to participate with the Ministry of Interior to review all procedures that provide safeguards to protect the accused person from being tortured or mistreated.
The Diwan also expresses its concern about the procedures of protecting the accused and suspects in general, which requires developing the procedures of the Public Prosecution and to train the members of the Ministry of Interior more on the rights of the accused, with a fair investigation without violating their rights to treat them humanely.
The Diwan also stresses the need to develop the legislative system for protection against torture, especially separating the forensic medicine and criminal evidence from the Ministry of Interior, instead of being two departments affiliated to the General Department of Investigation, reducing the period of detention and pretrial detention, and many important legislative amendments that require a special law on protection from torture.