Bahraini prisoners denied medical care, Saudi detainees ill-treated
The situation inside Bahrain’s prisons is deteriorating as the lack of proper sanitation and medical care have become pandemic. Native Bahraini youth, Mohammad Abdul Amir has been transferred from his cell to hospital after his health had deteriorated sharply. He has been suffering several ailments and asking for treatment but his calls were not heeded until he reached the verge of death. He gets attacks of severe headache that make him cry out. Last week he suffered a serious attack that almost killed him. Fellow prisoners protested angrily until the prison officials relented and took Mohammad to the hospital. His condition is unstable. Another young political prisoner, Ali Ma’tooq is suffering serious chronic migraine. Since his detention his disease developed to epilepsy. When he called his family recently, he told them that he often stops breathing when he sleeps and his colour turns blue. His family is extremely worried about his health as prison officials continue to refuse to treat him or take him to hospital. On 21st April, young native Bahraini political prisoner, Mohammad Fou’ad Al Iskafi was subjected to horrific torture at the hands of one of the prison guards. His father is calling for the protection of his son and an investigation into the recent bout of torture inflicted on his son.
Inmates at Bloc 21 of the notorious Jau prison were attacked and beaten last week for asking to exercise their right to observe their religious rituals. When they defied the ban the attack happened. Some of them have been punished and denied their outdoor exercise and banned from communicating with their families.
Young native Bahraini youth, Jassim Mohammad Isa, from Al Jufair town has been arrested and taken to an unknown place. No justification was given for his detention, as is the case with the native Bahrainis who are detained by the khalifis. He has not been allowed to see a lawyer and fear of torture is growing.
Civicus, the international human rights NGO with its headquarters in Johannesburg, has launched a petition for signature calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Abdu Hadi Al-Khawaja who has been in jail for over 11 years. It said: Eleven years ago, human rights defender, AbdulHadi Abdulla Hubail al-Khawaja was violently arrested and unfairly sentenced to life at Jau prison in Bahrain for his role in organizing peaceful protests to defend the realization of human rights and political reform for Bahrainis. Since his arrest and detention, Al-Khawaja has reportedly been ill-treated and severely tortured physically, psychologically and sexually. In addition, he has suffered multiple fractures to his jaw and has undergone multiple surgeries but still suffers from chronic pain and requires additional intervention as he has not healed properly. In 2012, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention considered that al-Khawaja’s arrest was unjust, yet Al-Khawaja remains imprisoned, isolated from his family and denied adequate healthcare. These abuses are infringements on his human rights and should be condemned.
On 22nd a prominent opposition figure Fadhel Abbas was denied entry into Egypt. He was detained for six hours at Cairo airport. During that time, he had his cell phone, luggage and even his belt confiscated. In 2105 he was imprisoned by the khalifis for condemning the Saudi-Emirati-khalifi war on Yemen. He spent three years behind bars for condemning the war.
The veteran Saudi human rights activist Essa al-Nukhaifi has been on hunger strike in Al-Ha’ir Prison since 17 April 2022. He is protesting the prison administration’s vindictive delays over letting him out to complete some banking transactions in relation to his salary and ID card renewal. Al-Nukhaifi’s family have failed to receive his salary for two months because his ID card has expired, so this deliberate foot-dragging is causing his wife and children unnecessary hardship. Since his arrest, Saudi cleric and reformer Salman Al Odah has been denied his basic rights and treated in degrading ways; being deprived of sleep and having food thrown to him in bags. The Public Prosecution called for the death penalty for Salman Al Odah who was tried on 37 spurious counts including “incitement against the rulers”. His health has seriously deteriorated in detention.
SANAD, a Saudi human rights NGO, has confirmed that a Saudi activist and dissident residing in Sana’a, Yemen, Majed Al-Asmari, disappeared few days ago. Nothing is known about his whereabout.
On 18th April Human Rights Watch and Mwatana for Human Rights determined that three unlawful attacks conducted in Yemen by the Saudi- and UAE-led coalition in late January 2022 resulted in the deaths of at least 80 civilians. (HRW) including three children, and 156 injuries, including two children, Following one of the strikes, where it appears to have used a Raytheon-made laser-guided missile kit on a detention facility in Saada, the Saudi and UAE-led coalition conducted an investigation that stated that the attack was on a military facility. However Mwatana for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch found no evidence to support that claim.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
27th April 2022