Mohamed Hameed AlDaqqaq is a Bahraini prisoner currently serving a total of 17 years in Jau Prison following multiple trials, some of which are currently pending. Mohamed has faced over 18 charges so far. While in Jau he has been subjected to torture and a severe lack of medical care. Mohamed suffers from several ailments, including sickle-cell anemia and accompanying pain, and the denial of healthcare has only increased his suffering in Jau.
Riot police roaming the streets arbitrarily detained Mohamed on 5 January 2015 near his home. Following his arrest, officers took Mohamed to the AlHoora Police Station where they held him incommunicado for two days. On the second day they allowed him to call his family. After his third day at the station, officers transferred Mohamed to Dry Dock Detention Center, and ultimately, 45 days later, the authorities transferred him to Jau Prison.
While in Jau Prison, guards subjected Mohamed to various forms of torture. They dubbed him the “new guy,” making him responsible for cleaning the toilets as a means of punishment. Prison guards brutally beat and insulted him, including shaving half of his head and facial hair. They stripped him naked and poured cold water on him, leaving him in the cold air. The guards also forced Mohamed to crawl into a pool of water contaminated with human waste, alternating between making Mohamed crawl to one end of the room and then dragging him from his legs to the other end before making him crawl again.
Prison authorities have consistently disregarded Mohamed’s right to health as well. Mohamed suffers from sickle-cell anemia and a skin condition. He was born with one kidney, and due to the pain stemming from his sickle-cell anemia, he had to undergo a splenectomy surgery. This condition also requires him to take medication for the rest of his life. However, since his arrest, the authorities have deprived him of that medication.
On multiple occasions, Mohamed has suffered from pain attacks in detention. In response, guards have delayed taking him to the clinic, if they even take him at all. The authorities have also routinely refused to take Mohamed to the periodic examinations required for his condition, and they continue to deny him his proper medication. This neglect has resulted in him being hospitalized at for two separate 45-day stays – once in 2016, and once more in March 2018.
Twice in April 2018, Mohamed suffered from severe pain related to his medical condition, and on both occasions he was subjected to ill treatment by medical personnel, including the denial of medication (accompanied by accusations of addiction) and slapping him on the face. On both occasions, the doctors only provided Mohamed with low-grade painkillers, and refused to provide medication to treat his sickle-cell anemia.
In addition to these abuses, Mohamed also suffers from pain caused by a tooth infection and a skin condition on his wrists where the guards handcuff him, worsened by the unsanitary conditions in Jau. Like his more serious medical conditions, medical personnel and prison authorities have denied him proper treatment for these problems. Mohamed has also reported poor living conditions at Jau, including inadequate amounts of clean water or healthy food.
Bahrain’s actions against Mohamed violate international laws and principles, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 12 right to health), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25 right to adequate standard of living and health), and the Convention against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. ADHRB calls upon Bahrain to uphold its human rights obligations by providing Mohamed with adequate healthcare and the medication that he requires. We additionally call for an independent investigation of all officials implicated in torture and abuse, including the Jau Prison doctors that are contributing to the ill treatment of inmates and shirking the responsibilities of their profession.
