This report explores the ongoing arrests and human rights violations against children in Bahrain, particularly those linked to freedom of expression and assembly. Despite the royal pardon in April 2024 and the release of detained minors, the arbitrary arrest, detention, and abuse of children persist.
Introduction (Pages 1-2)
Despite the royal decree of April 2024 granting amnesty to 1,584 prisoners—including nearly 40 minors arbitrarily arrested for charges related to freedom of speech and expression—subsequent arrest campaigns have shattered any hope for genuine reform. Dozens of children have been summoned and arrested on fabricated charges linked to their political views or peaceful expression.
ADHRB has documented the detention of 11 minors who were arbitrarily arrested without warrants, held for prolonged periods without fair trials, and coerced into confessing under threats, psychological abuse, and physical torture. They were denied legal representation and contact with their families throughout their detention. The Public Prosecution Office (PPO) extended their arbitrary detention, fabricated additional charges against them, and repeatedly postponed their trials.
Violations persist inside the Juvenile Detention Center, including ill-treatment, denial of medical care, education, and family visits, as well as restrictions on religious practices. Prisoners report malnutrition, inadequate bedding and blankets, and being barred from purchasing essentials or obtaining new clothing. Additionally, families are forced to cover the cost of phone calls as a condition for communication.
Escalation of the Crackdown (Pages 2-3)
Since October 2023, Bahrain has escalated its crackdown on public freedoms, particularly after protests condemning the aggression on Gaza. ADHRB has documented the targeting of 32 minors between August and December 2023, who were subjected to beatings, threats, and the confiscation of personal belongings during their arrests. Between October 2023 and November 2024, authorities arrested 344 citizens for expressing solidarity with Palestinians and Lebanese. Protests were met with violent repression, including excessive force against minors, such as the shooting of 16-year-old Husain Habib Baddaw in the head in July 2024.
“Any thought that Bahrain has turned a new leaf should now be completely stricken from memory,” said Husain Abdulla, ADHRB Executive Director. “The amnesties seem to have only made space enough in Bahrain’s prisons for a new batch of children, suffering from the same torture, abuse, and neglect that we saw before. When will we see a real end to this brutality?”
The Royal Pardon Did Not Halt Arrest Campaigns (Page 3)
Despite the release of many minors under the royal pardon and alternative sentencing programs, the arrest of children has recently resumed. Currently, around 38 minors are detained at Dry Dock Detention Center, including 14 arrested without warrants. Many have been tortured to extract forced confessions and denied legal representation, underscoring a systemic failure in reforms and ongoing impunity for perpetrators.
Arbitrary Arrests of Children (Page 4 – 7)
Bahraini authorities continue to target minors with arbitrary arrests linked to peaceful protests. These arrests, often made without judicial warrants, aim to silence political dissent and punish support for causes like Palestine. Detainees endure prolonged detention without charges, coerced confessions, and denial of legal rights.
The report documents specific cases of minors who were arrested, sentenced, and re-arrested throughout 2024 and early 2025:
- April 2024: Three minors sentenced to three months in prison; another goes missing after being summoned by police.
- May 2024: A minor arrested to serve a three-month sentence; new arrests of minors involved in protests.
- June 2024: Ongoing arrests of minors as part of broader security crackdowns.
- July 2024: Minors arrested during protests, including those previously pardoned under the royal decree.
- August 2024: Escalation of arrests; minors detained after being chased and forced to confess under duress.
- September 2024: Over 20 minors arrested during solidarity protests for Palestine and Lebanon; others face repeated trial postponements.
- October 2024: New arrests without warrants; minors sentenced to prison for political activity.
- November 2024: Minors’ trials repeatedly postponed; some sentenced to two months in prison.
- December 2024: Sentences of up to six months handed down; arrests continue.
- January 2025: Harsh sentences of up to one and a half years issued; ongoing arrests of minors.
- February 2025: Trials continue, with more prison sentences issued; minors arrested on politically motivated charges.
Violations During Litigation Phases (Pages 7-11)
The violations include arbitrary arrests without legal warrants, prolonged detention without clear charges, concealment of detention locations, forced confessions extracted through threats and torture, denial of legal representation, failure to present detainees before a judge within 24 hours, trial postponements, and deprivation of visits and communication with lawyers.
ADHRB has documented the cases of 10 minors who endured ill-treatment, denial of medical care, education, and family visits, as well as poor nutrition, inadequate bedding and blankets, and the lack of recreational programs.
Postponement of trials (Pages 11-13)
Trial postponements are used as a retaliatory tactic against minors, extending their detention without trial and subjecting them to repeated court delays.
Despite the Restorative Justice Law for Children, minors are often prosecuted under Bahrain’s Criminal Procedure Law, exposing them to prolonged detention and adult trials.
Documented Violations in Dry Dock Prison (Pages 14-23)
Detention centers, particularly Dry Dock Prison, continue to systematically violate human rights, subjecting minors to inhumane and harsh conditions. These violations include:
- Torture and Ill-Treatment: Bahraini authorities continue to torture and abuse detained minors. Cases of physical and psychological torture and denial of family contact have been documented.
- Violation of the Right to Education: Detained children systematically lose access to education. Some are unable to enroll in school or sit for exams due to their detention.
- Inhumane Conditions: Minors face a lack of clean water, overcrowding, isolation, winter clothing deprivation, and poor nutrition while also being denied family visits.
- Religious Suppression: Prison authorities impose strict restrictions on religious practices, punishing detainees for attempting to exercise their right to worship.
- Medical Neglect: Authorities deliberately ignore children’s urgent medical needs, causing serious physical and psychological harm. Cases of denied essential medical care have been documented.
- Hunger Strikes: Several minors and young detainees at Dry Dock Detention Center have launched hunger strikes to protest their detention conditions and demand basic rights.
Urgent Recommendations (Pages 23-25)
- Immediate release of all children detained on political charges or based on confessions extracted under torture.
- Improved detention conditions for minors to ensure their dignity, safety, and rehabilitation.
- Accountability for prison officials and judges responsible for sentencing minors based on coerced confessions and exposing them to inhumane detention conditions.
- Providing compensation to victims for the violations they have suffered.
- Ensuring the protection of children’s rights remains a top priority in Bahrain.
- The international community must increase pressure on Bahrain to comply with its human rights commitments.
- Encouraging Bahrain to implement alternative rehabilitation programs instead of imprisonment.
Conclusion (Pages 25-26)
Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) condemns the ongoing violations of children’s rights in Bahrain’s detention centers and urges the government to implement comprehensive reforms to protect detained minors. ADHRB calls on the international community to take responsibility in urging Bahrain to fulfill its international obligations and enhance monitoring mechanisms on human rights conditions in the country.
Download the full report here: Bahraini Children Torn from Classrooms, Thrown into Prisons
