Two years later, the murder of Ahmed Ismail is pending investigation

The anguish of the family of the photojournalist Ahmed Ismail Hassan has continued since March, 31, 2012. He was not yet 22 years old when was shot dead. Hassan was holding his video camera to film a demonstration in Salmabad when it documented the last moments of his life.

Hassan’s family is still suffering today because of deliberate procrastination by the Bahraini officials, starting with a 13-day delay of the funeral and burial and a continuing cover-up of the killing by the security forces that has lasted two years.

Hassan carried a camera for years and considered it his special instrument to document the events in his country – and the violations suffered by his people. Several of his films were shown on TV outlets, which were searching for any source of footage, particularly since Bahraini authorities blocked several media groups from entering the country.

Since he was 14, Hassan was arrested several times and faced abuse and torture, his family said. The aim of the arrests was to recruit him as an informant for the security agencies; these efforts did not impress him.

He lost his study because of his successive arrests, and he died before completing high school. His sister Nadia Ismail confirms that he wanted to finish his university study in law to work as a lawyer.

“Security forces have besieged us in the International Hospital while Ahmed was breathing his last breath out,” Nadia said. “They did not allow us to ask about or see him, but they started questioning us even though we were worried about my brother’s fate.” She added:  “Suddenly doctors stopped their efforts so they did not perform the predetermined surgery. Instead it was decided to transfer him to Salmaniya Medical Centre, where his death was declared.”

The family refused to accept a death certificate stating that Hassan’s death was due to cardiac arrest, breathing problems and inner injury in the stomach. After checking with the police of Central Directorate to request a forensic report confirming his death by live bullets, according to Nadia, the family “moved between the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Health and the Public Prosecution, where each was waiving the responsibility of issuing the death certificate and stating its reason along a period of 13 days.”

Said Nadia: “In a meeting with the security authorities to reach a solution and receive the body, we met officers from the Central Region police station. One of them presented information about the killer and the kind of weapon used. When I asked for clarification and declaring the bullet size or the weapon that could indicate to the murderer, the officer changed what he had said and denied having any information regarding the weapon or the murderer and said what he had mentioned was just assumptions.”

The family concluded, after its own investigation, that the weapon used to kill Hassan might be of French make, with a laser beam used to shoot the victim from a relatively far distance.

“My brother was shot near the main street where an ATM security camera was there, and a surveillance camera on the nearby university building,” Nadia Ismail said. “Surveillance cameras were also on the nearby stores. However, all of that got in the hands of the Ministry of Interior after the incident, and it is still covering up the murderer.”

Hassan’s family lost the camera that was with him at the time of the shooting, and when they got it, the last recordings had been deleted.

Four days after his death, the Public Prosecution threatened the family that it would bury Hassan’s body if they did not receive it with the death certificate issued by the prosecution. The family confirms that the threats were “a legal action under the Law 16 for 1993, Article 49, the seventh chapter that prevents issuing any death certificate in cases of criminal suspicion.”

The family provided the Public Prosecution with a list of names and phone numbers of 12 witnesses to Hassan’s shooting. Nadia Ismail said that some of the witnesses, during questioning, were threatened that their wives would be raped.  “They were indirectly accused,” she said, “and all were targeted later by being arrested while raiding their homes or at checkpoints.”

The security agencies questioned Naji Ismail, Hassan’s brother, more than once about his brother’s murder. “We believe that the security apparatuses are responsible for capturing my brother’s murderer.” Naji said. “We asked for the filming of the incident by the surveillance cameras in the area, however, the cameras disappeared since that time. We got names of witnesses who presented their testimonies, but to no avail.”

Hassan’s family has not lost hope. The authority in Bahrain places Hassan’s case under the term “pending investigation,” but the family says that they will work to revive an action internationally. The family also confirmed that they will continue their search for justice to identify Hassan’s murderer and bring him to justice.