Human Rights in Bahrain deteriorate as dismal conditions intensify for political prisoners

After Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry: Situation at the Central prison is turning from worse to worst
22 December, 2011 – BCHR

Bahrain Center for Human Rights continues to receive appalling information about the prisoners’ condition at Bahrain Central Prison (Jaw), and infringing the standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners by the United Nations. The following Statement is by a prisoner who has been released recently, these information are added on the previous recent BCHR reports (Report of November 2011) and (Report of August 2011), which indicates the urgent need to open the prison’s doors for the independent commissions to come up with binding recommendations to the Government of Bahrain to halt the deterioration situation of the prisoners. According to BCHR information, the harassment has increased after launching the Independent Commission of Inquiry Report, and despite the announcement of the Red Cross intention to visit the prisons.

The Prisoner’s Statement:

“Reforming and Rehabilitation Department (Jaw prison) is the central prison in Bahrain, where prisoners (criminal and politicians alike) suffer from the most extreme conditions. They are neglected and tortured as revenge especially the prisoners from the Shia Sect. The prisoners have no one to turn to and raise their complaints or grievances, due to the officers’ domination on everything. Moreover, telling their relatives does not make any difference because the situation in the country cannot be resorted to the newspapers or anyone that could bring the offenders to justice.

Bahrain’s weather consists of two main seasons, summer which is flaming hot and a cold winter. In the flaming hot summer, the prisoners feel as if they were standing under the sun without shadows. There are air conditioners in prison, but because these air conditioners are outdated and not repaired, “also as a punishment” the prisoners sleep in hot weather, so hot that they sweat in their clothes and sleeping mattresses until clothes become wet with water. The impact of this is very bad on their health. Water in the baths is very hot and many of them do have any ventilation window, making the bathroom like a sauna. When prisoner enters to path and to clean himself he comes out sweating with no benefit. In addition, lack of movement in a hot closed place cause psychological state of suffocation because of the heat.

On the cold season, where detainees cannot escape from its chilliness, they are not allowed to get warm clothes from their families and the cells are not warm enough to protect them.
Also, personal hygiene items are not allowed. However, room toiletries were allowed to get to the prisoners recently, yet it depends on the guards’ mood to allow it or not.

Furthermore, prisoners are prevented from getting anything related to their religious believes like (Turba Husseiniya “the soil used in the Shiite prayer”) and books; there is a rule that states two books for each prisoner. Yet, the prisoner does not get his books until it gets approved. Even worse, they barred the call to prayer and arranging for Jumaa prayer. And whoever opposed gets beaten or detains in a solitary. …more