Written by Brian Dooley
Bahrain is plunged into a new crisis as hundreds of prisoners protest the lack of proper medical care. Among those denied necessary care are prominent human rights defenders Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Abduljalil al-Singace, and Hassan, who have been imprisoned since peaceful protests in 2011.・Includes Mr. Mushaima.
Bahrain’s main prison, Jaw, currently houses an estimated 1,300 prisoners, about half of whom are on hunger strike.
The current crisis could have been easily avoided. If the Bahrain government had been wise, it would have released those who were wrongly imprisoned years ago and given proper care to all those who needed treatment.
This is yet another mishandling of a situation that could now spiral dangerously out of control. A prison riot occurred in Giau in March 2015. We predicted that poor conditions, overcrowding, and inadequate medical care would lead to mass unrest, and that’s exactly what happened.
Last night, I spoke with several former inmates of Giau. One recently released prisoner said, “This frustration in prison has been building up for a long time and it has to go somewhere.” More and more prisoners are joining the protests, and the situation is It’s getting worse day by day. Some places are already collapsing.”
Some prisoners began refusing meals on August 7, and more prisoners subsequently joined the protests. International attention is beginning to focus on Jau. Yesterday, I joined others in an overnight protest in front of the Bahrain embassy in London and prayed for prisoners in urgent need of medical treatment.
Some parts of the U.S. government recognize that the situation is developing in a dangerous direction and threatens Bahrain’s fragile stability. For years, the U.S. government has supported Bahrain’s ruling family, which rules the country through violence. The election was a sham, and the United States has kept a nervous eye on the small kingdom for years because of its sensitive location and host to the US 5th Fleet.
Some members of Congress and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom publicly addressed the growing crisis this week. Even the State Department, which is usually reluctant to criticize dictator allies in the region, expressed some concern about the reporter’s questions.
True to its disappointing appearance, the U.S. embassy in Manama has yet to say anything publicly about what is happening before its eyes, even tweeting a photo of the King of Bahrain with U.S. officials. busy.
But if any of the hundreds of prisoners taking part in the hunger protests were to die, the consequences of Bahrain’s failure to resolve the crisis could be catastrophic, with chaos spilling onto the streets.
Bahraini authorities must act quickly to prevent a similar outcome to 2015, when dozens of detainees were tortured and abused in response to a prison riot. It is better to act wisely now and meet the basic needs of prisoners, including proper medical care, to avoid further disaster.
Among those most at risk are leading rights activists. Human Rights First this week joined other NGOs in calling on the State Department to use its significant influence in Bahrain to seek a swift and humane solution to the crisis.
At a senior level, the Biden administration should publicly call for the release of human rights defenders imprisoned in Bahrain and ensure that they and other prisoners receive the medical care they need before it is too late.