Manama: An international commission set up by Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has launched a probe into the Saudi-backed regime’s crackdown on popular protests in the Persian Gulf sheikdom. The panel, which consists of a team of six non-Bahraini investigators, will examine the controversial role of security forces during popular demonstrations that have rocked Bahrain in recent months.“We will investigate the role of the army. The army is not above the law and not beyond the law,” said Cherif Bassiouni, chairman of the panel.
It will also investigate allegations that opposition activists and protesters have been tortured by the Saudi-backed regime’s forces.
The development comes as Saudi Arabia deployed more forces in Bahrain on Saturday in an attempt to further help Al Khalifa family clamp down on anti-regime demonstrators.
The anti-government protesters have been rallying in Bahrain since mid-February, demanding an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty, which has ruled the Persian Gulf island for over 40 years.
Manama rulers have even engaged in arresting rights activists, opposition figures, journalists, former lawmakers, senior clerics, doctors and nurses.
According to Bahrain Center for Human Rights — a non-governmental organization — there are currently over 1,000 political detainees inside the country.
