One thing about living in a fledgling democracy is the daily changes which happen and the little things you notice changing, from people’s attitudes to huge projects that are not just being discussed, but actually actioned in record times.
But until yesterday, no one in their right mind in Bahrain would even think about suing the government, much less the Ministry of Interior for wrongful death and (a) live through it, (b) expect any kind of outcome, and (c) don’t even hope that you will win (d) forget about the government being effectively indicted and held to book because of wrongs one of its employees committed.
Yesterday, the final verdict was handed down in the case of a young man gunned down near the US Embassy in Manama two years ago. Regardless of why he was there with thousands of other people, and regardless of whatever he was doing if anything, over-whelming force to break up a demonstration should not have been used. Certainly not shooting a rubber bullet into his head from a distance of a few meters. That rubber bullet ended his life a couple of days later as he died from injuries sustained.
His family, helped by various human rights organisations in Bahrain took the Ministry of Interior to court, they were also helped by the King himself where he advised the parents to do so as well! This case proves without a doubt now that although the judicial system is wanting, and although not completely separate, you can sue any branch of the government, and if you have a case, you have nothing to fear.
The Ministry of Interior is of course appealing the case, but that’s beside the point, the judge found for the family of the deceased and laid the blame squarely at the Ministry of Interior’s feet.
In an interview in todays papers, the parents (although very poor and needy) have decided to donate the compensation to local charities. That’s 50,000 dinars ($132.6k) that a family such as this would probably have to work all their lives and couldn’t save as much. To them, they got what they needed however and that is an admittance by the government that it is wrong, and that it is sorry for using overwhelming force in a situation that does not mandate it in the least.
The repercussions of this case are manifest. Now the courts can look into cases of torture, wrongful imprisonment, harassment, mental anguish and of course the various monsters at the police forces in all of its branches who have terrorised this country for 10s of years and pass judgment rather than just refuse to accept the case by default. But then, Law 56 is stopping all of these cases, okay that’s fine, at least from December 2002 onwards, no one is going to be able to hide behind his government/Ministry of Interior protection any more.
Or at least, that’s what we hope this landmark case has proven.
