Bahrain Feature: A New "Martyr"? The Death of Ali Hassan Al Daihi

Ali Hassan Al Daihi in HospitalIt appears tonight that Bahrain has another high-profile dispute over the death of a civilian, allegedly at the hands of riot police.

According to the opposition party Al Wefaq, the father of its Deputy Secretary General, Sheikh Hussain Al Daihi, was beaten on Wednesday night as he returned home. Ali Hassan Al Daihi, found on the floor of the house by one of his sons, said he had been assaulted --- his son tried to leave to confront the police but his dad stopped him. There was a deep wound on the back of Ali Hassan Al Daihi's head and bruises on his forehead and around his eyes. Blood was flowing from his mouth.

(Al-Wefaq member and former MP Sayed Hadi Moussaoui told AFP police were dispersing a protest in the village when Ali Hassan was attacked.)

When his sons tried to take him to the hospital, Ali Hassan refused, fearing that they might receive the same treatment as him, given the security conditions in the country. After they insisted, Al Hassan was taken to a health center and then Salmaniya Medical Complex, the largest hospital in Bahrain.  He died, from cardiac arrest, at 12:30 a.m.

The family reported the incident to Al Khamis police station and demanded an investigation. Al Wefaq asserts that the "circumstances that surrounded his death lead us to believe" that  Ali Hassan died due to the attack by the police.

Later on Thursday, Bahrain's Ministry of Health issued a statement saying that Ali Hassan had "died of natural causes", claiming he had fainted at home and was taken to Salmaniya Medical Complex with cardiac problems.

The funeral will be at 8 a.m. Friday in Al Daih village.