ADHRB is expressing its deep concerns about the recent reports of escalating human rights violations that are occurring at Jau Prison in Bahrain. The new escalation of cutting off electricity and water on extremely hot summer days to protesting prisoners while denying them medical care, is the newest form of retaliation by prison officials and is extremely worrisome. ADHRB holds the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and his government responsible for these dangerous events. We also hold Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior and the Jau Prison administration accountable for this inhumane situation. ADHRB urgently calls on them to immediately cease these retaliatory measures, restore electricity, water, and food to prisoners, meet the prisoners’ reasonable demands, investigate violations, and hold perpetrators accountable. Furthermore, ADHRB calls on the international community to act promptly to help end this dangerous situation before lives are lost.
Background:
On 25 March 2024, political prisoner Husain Khalil Ebrahim died inside Jau Prison after enduring years of medical neglect. As a result, since 26 March 2024, political prisoners in Buildings 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of Jau Prison have been protesting their mistreatment, particularly medical negligence. Their demands include the unconditional release of all political prisoners, especially prominent elderly opposition leaders and political prisoners Mr. Hasan Mushaima and Dr. AbdulJalil AlSingace, both of whom are suffering from medical neglect, and for the immediate and unconditional release of all sick prisoners suffering from medical neglect.
Bahrain’s Retaliatory Measures:
In response to the demands of political prisoners, the Jau prison administration has taken various retaliatory measures, including:
- Intermittent cuts to electricity, water, and food supplies.
- Restriction of prisoner movement to court or hospital appointment.
- Reclassification of political prisoners who request medical appointments to Building 2, which houses foreign criminal inmates who do not share the same language, culture, and religion as Bahraini political prisoners, effectively isolating them. As a result, prisoners experiencing serious health issues are avoiding medical appointments to prevent being transferred to isolation in Building 2.
- Increased retaliatory actions such as solitary confinement, suspension of family visits and contacts, cessation of television broadcasts, and suspension of access to daily newspapers.
- Denial of access to personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies, and other necessities from the canteen.
- ADHRB has learned from some human rights activists that on 24 April 2024, security forces stormed Ward 3 in Building 5 to forcibly end a sit-in, resulting in the assault and injury of many prisoners.
Escalation and Retaliation:
The situation in Jau Prison has significantly escalated. On 30 June 2024, the Prison administration denied dinner to the protesting prisoners in Building 7. The following day, 1 July 2024, ADHRB learned from prisoners’ families that meals were entirely withheld as retaliation for the sit-in organized inside the prison corridors. The administration deprived detainees of dinner and breakfast, delayed lunch provision, and provided it in extremely small quantities.
Families have also informed ADHRB that military and security forces surrounded the protesting buildings, and prison forces threw dozens of meals in the trash instead of distributing them to the prisoners. They added that, on orders from the Jau Prison director, Hisham AlZayani, trash removal was prohibited, leading to large accumulations of waste inside the buildings, wards, and cells, posing a health threat to the prisoners. Furthermore, they confirmed that the water supply to Building 9 was also cut off as a retaliatory measure.
Life-threatening Escalation:
On 10 July 2024, the situation worsened when the administration cut off electricity and water in Buildings 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Consequently, the air conditioners stopped working during extremely hot summer days, with real temperatures exceeding 50°C. Families of political prisoners reported to ADHRB that the food supply was significantly reduced, and prisoners were denied medical treatment, all following orders from Director Hisham AlZayani to forcefully end the ongoing sit-in. In response, ADHRB has learned from human rights activists that prisoners in Building 10 initiated a hunger strike .
The power cut exacerbated the suffering of prisoners with asthma, kidney disease, and heart disease. ADHRB has learned from prisoners’ families that prisoners in Ward 1 of Building 7 suffered extreme heat, 24 hours after electricity and water were cut off in poorly ventilated cells. Despite serious health attacks, prisoners who requested and received medical care were transferred to isolation in Building 2, which houses foreign criminal inmates. As a result, political prisoners are avoiding medical appointments to prevent being transferred to isolation.
The mothers of political prisoners reached out to official government bodies, including the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR), the Prisoners’ Commission, and the Ombudsman. They also contacted several MPs to raise their demands and complaints with government officials and seek action to resolve the issue. Their last move was on 18 July 2024, when they visited the Jau Prison building to complain about the recent retaliatory measures and demand their children’s rights. The head of the prison police department attempted to interrogate them about the source of the leaked reprisal news, casting doubt on its validity and calling it subversive. She claimed all services were available in prison, accused prisoners of cutting electricity wires, and threatened to bring in security forces to expel and pursue the mothers.
Call to Action:
ADHRB also urges the international community to act promptly by applying pressure on the Bahraini government to protect the rights and well-being of all prisoners.
ADHRB urgently calls upon the Bahraini authorities, including the Ministry of Interior and the institutions that claim to protect the rights of prisoners, such as the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR), the Ombudsman, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), and others to:
- Immediately cease all retaliatory measures against prisoners.
- Restore electricity, water, and adequate food supplies to all prisoners.
- Ensure the provision of adequate medical care and sanitation for all prisoners.
- End the isolation of political prisoners in Building 2 and return them to the buildings where other prisoners of conscience are housed.
- Unconditionally release all political prisoners, especially those in need of medical attention.
- Investigate all these violations and hold perpetrators accountable.
