Today, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) delivered an oral intervention at the 42nd Session of the Human Rights Council under the General Debate of Item 3. ADHRB advised the Council to pay attention to the dismal conditions in Bahraini prisons and the many abuses that prisoners face that violates their human rights. ADHRB hopes that my bringing up these issues to the Council, reforms will be made due to the international spotlight.
Click here for the PDF of the submitted statement.
Please find the statement below.
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Mr. President,
We would like to thank the mandates of the Special Procedures for their work and raise concerns about poor conditions in Bahraini prisons as well as ongoing religious discrimination, reprisals, impunity, and police brutality in the prisons. These conditions have led hundreds of prisoners across Bahrain’s prison system to launch a hunger strike calling for reforms.
I would like to read a letter we recently received from one of the hunger strikers, Ali AlHajee
Greetings,
The deterioration of human rights conditions in Bahrain, currently at its worst since 2011, is one of the biggest challenges the Council is facing. Bahraini authorities continue to target activists who fight for human rights and opposition leaders by arresting them, taking revenge through politicized court judgments, and sentencing them to death.
Today, my fellow prisoners of conscience and I continue the hunger strike we started on 15 August, in which we protest the physical and mental abuse handed down as punishment by the guards. We are also striking to receive full and unrestricted access to medical care and to be allowed to exercise our religious rituals.
Personally speaking, the prison administration has neglected my medical treatment and suspended my treatment program without explanation although it is in its final stage. Nor have I seen my family for over a month.
Mr. President, Members of this Council, I urge you to take a stance and demand the Bahraini government respect its international obligations to protect human rights.
Thank you
