MANAMA, Bahrain: A man detained in Bahrain last month as the island kingdom came under missile attack from Iran vanished for days, until his family was called to retrieve his body from a military hospital.

His relatives said Mohamed al-Mousawi, a Shiite Muslim who had been in prison before, was saving money to start his own business. When they received his body, it had cuts, bruises, and injuries, including on the soles of his feet.

His death has caused anger in Bahrain, a country ruled by Sunnis but with a mostly Shiite population. Critics say the government is again using harsh methods like those used to crush protests during the Arab Spring in 2011.

During the war, Bahrain has arrested many people for filming attacks, protesting, supporting Iran, or being suspected of spying. Authorities said al-Mousawi was arrested for spying for Iran, but his family denied this. The government also said photos of his injuries are misleading and insisted it is acting to protect national security.

Al-Mousawi had served about 11 years of a 21-year sentence for crimes like arson and links to a militant group before being released in 2024.

A relative said he went missing on March 19 after attending prayers with two friends, who are also still missing. Rights groups say such disappearances have happened before in Bahrain.

On March 27, his family was told to collect his body. A relative who saw it said he appeared to have been beaten badly, possibly whipped with cables, and had burns that looked like electric shocks and cigarette burns.

The Interior Ministry said he was held by the National Security Agency and repeated that the injury photos are false. The official report said he died of a heart attack, but his family said he had no health problems.

A forensic expert said the injuries suggest he suffered strong physical violence and are very consistent with torture.

Rights groups say his death and recent arrests show a new phase of repression in Bahrain, similar to the crackdown during the 2011 protests, when the government used force to stop demonstrations.

Since the war began, dozens of people in Bahrain have been arrested for sharing images of attacks or showing support for Iran. Some face serious charges like treason, which can lead to life imprisonment or even the death penalty.