Senior opposition figures suffer in Bahrain prisons, HRW criticizes Saudis

2 June، 2021

The dire health conditions in Bahrain jails are causing great concerns to the families of the political prisoners and human rights activists. The health of Mr Hassan Mushaima, one of the most senior and oldest leaders of the opposition has deteriorated with his legs swollen and painful, as well as severe knee pain. He also suffers breathing and hearing difficulties and has systematically been denied proper medical treatment. He has not had a scan for his cancer for a long time. Similarly, another senior opposition figure Dr Abdul Jalil Al Singace is also suffering weakness associated with dizziness and irregular heartbeats. Prison authorities have refused to change the worn-out ferrules of his crutches without which he cannot walk or even go to the bathroom.

The plight of other political detainees is also concerning. Hajji Hassan Omran said that his political prisoner son, Ali had called the family few days ago and sounded extremely frail and tired. He is one of tens of inmates who have attracted Covid-19 at Bloc 12 of the notorious Jauprison. Another victim at the bloc is Aqeel Abdul Rasool who collapsed after catching Covid-19. He was transferred to hospital in an ambulance and his situation remains critical. There are now more than 100 confirmed Covid-19 cases among the political prisoners. They include: Hussain Ahmad Barakat, from Daih, Ali Ibrahim Musa, from Tubli, Usama NazarAl Saghir from Abu Saaiba, Mohammad Abdul Nabi Juma’a and Hussain Ahmad Al Mu’min.

Andrew Gwynne, UK MP for Denton and Reddish, has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson after his home secretary Priti Patel had hosted a meeting with a Bahraini Minister. The meeting was held just over a month after a violent attack on over 60 political prisoners by Bahraini authorities on the 17 April 2021. The Home Secretary met with the khalifi minister of interior Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa on the 25 May 2021. Al Khalifa is himself accused of overseeing the persecution of human rights defenders, journalists, and activists in Bahrain. Gwynne has also tabled an Early Day Motion which calls on the government to “apply Magnitsky Act Sanctions to Rashid Al Khalifa for his protracted role in overseeing a culture of abuse and a climate of impunity in Bahrain”. The Motion also highlights “other recent serious human rights abuses, including the detention of children as young as 13 years old, who were subjected to beatings and threats of rape and electric shocks to coerce confessions over charges linked to protest activity.”

On 31st May a special hearing session on Bahrain was held at the Italian Parliament. It included discussion on the ongoing systematic human rights violations and political crisis in the country. The Undersecretary of Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs discussed his concerns about the human rights conditions in Bahrain and the ongoing diplomatic efforts by European embassies in Bahrain to address these concerns. The interaction came after several Italian MPs raised the deteriorating situation in Bahrain with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the Foreign Affairs committee in the Italian Parliament.

On 23rd May Human Rights Watch issued a statement titled: Saudi Arabia: Repression Rages on Despite Releases: harsh sentencing, travel bans, torture allegations persist. It said: Saudi authorities’ repression of dissidents, human rights activists, and independent critics remains at full force despite the releases of some prominent activists in early 2021. The sentencing of three men in March and April to lengthy prison terms on charges related to their peaceful dissent and expression underscores the authorities’ continued campaign of repression. It also said: Saudi authorities in recent months have imposed harsh sentences on a number ofhuman rights activists and independent critics. Among them are: Salman Al-Awda, Dr. Walid Fitaihi and his daughter, Sarah Jabri, and Omar Jabri. Bottom, Loujain al-Hathloul, Mohammed al-Otaibi, Abdelrahman al-Sadhan, and Nassima al-Sadah. “Saudi Arabia cannot rehabilitate its international image so long as it harasses, arrests, and tortures its critics into submission or makes them flee abroad,” Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch said.

On 26th May Mohammad Sayer Ubaid AlGhidani was detained by the Saudi authorities for tweeting his personal thoughts that angered regime’s officials. On May 12, 2021, Saudi university graduate Abdullah Jelan was abducted and disappeared by State Security forces in Medina. At around 8pm that day, a convoy of six cars and 20 people suddenly arrived at Jelan’s mother’s house and proceeded to search the house before arresting Jelan and taking him to an unknown location. Prior to his arrest, Jelan had been vocal on Twitter, where he had advocated for his right to a job and fundamental freedoms in Saudi Arabia. To date, his fate and whereabouts remain unknown. Also from Al–Ihsaa Province in Eastern Arabia, Abul Fidaa was detained few weeks ago because of a comment he had made. He challenged a statement by the minister of tourism that unemployment at Al Ula district was zero.