On March 10, 2025, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) delivered an intervention during the Annual Debate on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at HRC58, condemning Bahrain’s medical neglect of disabled political prisoners, highlighting the case of Dr. Abduljalil AlSingace.
We express deep concerns over Bahrain’s ongoing denial of healthcare and reasonable accommodations to political prisoners with physical disabilities.
A notable example is Dr. Abduljalil AlSingace, a prominent human rights defender with a physical disability who has been arbitrarily detained for 14 years. Suffering from post-polio syndrome, Dr. AlSingace endures severe joint pain and struggles with inadequate crutches. Despite his condition, authorities deny him essential medical care, including proper crutches, replacements for worn rubber tips, medical slippers, and an MRI. Since July 2021, he has been on a solid food hunger strike, yet, his requests for critical tests and assistive devices remain unmet.
Despite being detained at Kanoo Medical Center, authorities subject him to solitary confinement and deny him medical care, further impairing his ability to walk and subjecting him to a slow death. This continues despite calls from UN bodies for his immediate release and urgent medical treatment.
We urge the council to pressure Bahrain to end Dr. AlSingace’s medical neglect and ensure he receives the necessary care, including for his post-polio syndrome.
