A Bahrain court has sentenced 13 political prisoners who protested medical negligence in prison during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, rights groups reported.
According to a report documented by the U.K.-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, the men were subjected to abuse and 10% after security forces and prison officials broke up a sit-in at Jaw Prison in April 2021. He was among more than 60 prisoners who had been isolated for more than a month.
Middle East Eye has seen copies of notes made by the Bahrain Public Prosecutor’s Office after interviews with three prisoners following the protests, which reveal that they were repeatedly hit in the head with a metal object and that they were held in handcuffs several times. It details abuses such as being detained for days.
BIRD said the prison staff involved in the alleged abuse were not investigated, but the trials of 65 inmates were “marred by serious due process violations.”
“This mass trial demonstrates the core problem of Bahrain’s corrupt judicial system. Prisoners of state violence and victims of torture are held guilty while their torturers avoid any responsibility,” said BIRD’s Advocacy Director. , said Saeed Alwadai.
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On Tuesday, a court sentenced 12 political prisoners to three years in prison, one to one year and a fine of 50 Bahraini dinars (US$132), and sentenced 12 others to three years in prison for crimes including causing a riot and resisting orders from prison police. acquitted someone.
According to court documents seen by MEE, none of the defendants attended the proceedings.
Nik Jafarnia, a Yemen and Bahrain researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the ruling makes recent praise for Saudi Arabia by American and British officials seem “farcical.” .
“The United States and the United Kingdom have just signed a new agreement with the Crown Prince of Bahrain, and both countries agree that Bahrain is making ‘significant progress and important reforms,'” Jafarnia said, referring to comments from a senior White House official. I admire it,” he said.
“However, Bahrain’s continued human rights violations are blatant… Thirteen men have just been convicted without due process or investigation into detailed allegations of torture against the authorities.”
continuous demand
The ruling came weeks after prisoners called off a massive 36-day hunger strike, the largest in Bahrain’s history, over conditions at Jaw Prison after Bahraini authorities promised improvements.
Al-Wadei told MEE there had been “some concessions” since the end of the strike, including the release of some political prisoners from their cells. “It’s a mixed message,” he said of reports from prisoners inside.
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He said meetings were ongoing between prisoners, prison officials and representatives of the National Institute for Human Rights to discuss prisoners’ demands. He added that the hunger strike could be resumed.
The 10-day sit-in in April 2021 broke out after the death of political prisoner Abbas Malala. Prisoners claim they have been denied timely medical care, and rights groups say authorities are failing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The protests were broken up by riot police, who threw stun grenades and beat detainees, many of whom were seriously injured, according to a report and detailed account from the prosecutor’s office. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said it was “disturbed by the unnecessary and unjust use of force” in what it described as a “peaceful sit-in”.
In all three testimonies seen by MEE, the prisoners said they were beaten by the same police officer, Ahmed Farhan. One prisoner said Farhan told him, “I’m going to crush them, I’m going to crush all the Shiites,” and tried to put a shoe in his mouth.
Bahraini authorities have previously said the demonstrations were violent and that prison officials took appropriate measures to protect staff and inmates. He also said the detainees had been moved to new facilities after the crackdown, but did not explain why they were unable to contact their families.
Bahraini authorities did not respond to MEE’s request for comment on Wednesday.