Bahrain Forum and SALAM DHR Update: Prisoners Complain of Hunger and Infected Cases exceed 50 

29 March 2021

Per the last report, the Bahrain Forum for Human Rights and SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights note in their update on the condition of prisoners infected with COVID-19 an increase in numbers. At the time of writing, it has been confirmed on March 29 that the number of the total infected cases has reached 56. One of the infected cases is the former representative of the Al-Wefaq parliamentary bloc, Sheikh Hassan Eissa. The two organizations have also received several complaints from prisoners of conscience regarding not receiving their meals in sufficient proportions or in a timely manner on par with the other detainees.

One of the detainees has also relayed to his family that the number of infected COVID-19 cases has exceeded 100 cases. As of now, however, the two organization have not been able to obtain the names of the remaining infected cases to be tallied into the final count. This comes at a time when there is no transparency enacted by the official authorities in informing the families of the prisoners of their contracting of the virus.

Amidst their calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience, the two organizations also call for the allowance of visits to the prisons and inspections by human rights organizations due to a lack of confidence in the data issued by official authorities. 

Problems in Food Provisions

According to a voice message recorded by prisoner of conscience, Abdul Ali Muhammed Khair, on the 28th of March, breakfast was brought to them at 6:30PM followed by lunch at 8:00PM. The number of meals did not match the number of residents: only 75 meals were delivered, leaving a staggering 76 without food. Dinner was served at 12:30AM.

One of the detainees in Building 23 stated that last night, on Sunday, 28 March, they were not given lunch, but only dinner consisting of soup and bread. Breakfast was served at 1:00PM today.

In another prisoner’s testimony, after some prisoners were infected with COVID-19, the meals provided by the prison administration were paltry and not sufficient for adults. For example, a meal could simply consist of a piece of brown toast and a bowl of cereal that weighed no more than 10 grams in portion size, or a small amount of pasta. Whoever objected would be left to face hunger. Another prisoner attested that after the COVID-19 infected cases were confirmed, milk and tea were no longer distributed.

Families Protesting the Grievances: You are Prohibited from Peacefully Gathering in Manama

In the early morning of the 28th of March, a number of the prisoners’ families picketed in front of the Bahraini Ombudsman calling for the immediate release of their relatives. Employees of the Ombudsman recorded from them the numbers and names of the prisoners.

One of the officers present at the picket said to the families yesterday, “We do not know how Jau Central Prison is run and what their different departments and sections are, but what is important to us is that you do not picket in Manama as it is forbidden to demonstrate in the capital.”

Official Authorities’ Lack in Transparency in informing the Families about the Health Status of their Children

Prisoner Yunis Al-Nassri stated in a voice note that he had been on a hunger strike for four days due to the refusal of the Jau Central Prison administration of his request to checking up on his younger brother, detainee Mansour Al-Nassri, who has been infected with COVID-19. He indicated that his family were not made aware of his brother’s condition or infection by the security authorities. On Sunday, March 28, Yunis was told by an officer that the infected prisoners were separated into cells that no one could get in or out of.

The families of a number of detainees also reported that whenever they tried to find out the results of the medical examination of their families through the electronic application of the Ministry of Health (conscious society), they could not obtain information, and the following phrase would appear to them: A failed entry attempt.

Several families of a number of detainees also reported that whenever they would try to find out the results of their kins’ medical examinations through the Ministry of Health’s online application, Mujtama’ Wa’i (A Conscious Society), they would be unable to obtain any information. The following phrase would appear to them: A failed entry attempt.

Prisoners of Conscience Infected with COVID-19

Number

Name

Area

Testing Date

General Notes

1 Hani Ahmed Eissa Marhoun Al-Sanabis 22-Mar-2021
2 Nasser Ya’aqoub Yusef Nasser Adhari 23-Mar-2021
3 Fadhel Muhammed Ridha Ali Hassan Ibrahim Baddah Sitra 23-Mar-2021 Suffers from a chronic illness, such as epilepsy
4 Hussein Sa’id Ibrahim Hassan Ali Sitra 23-Mar-2021
5 Sami Ja’afer Abbas Muhammed Ali Al-Sheikh Al-Ma’ameer 23-Mar-2021
6 Muhammed Abdullah Yusef Ahmed Al-Singace Al-Sanabis 23-Mar-2021 Suffers from chronic illnesses
7 Sayed Ali Mousa Ja’afer Alawi Hussein Al-Diraz 23-Mar-2021
8 Ahmed Ja’afer Al’ajouz Al Nuwaidrat 23-Mar-2021
9 Ahmed Muhammed Saleh Jassem Hassan Ali Bani Jamra 24-Mar-2021 Suffers from chronic illnesses
10 Sayed Mahmoud Sharaf 24-Mar-2021
11 Mujtabba Sadeq Hassan Ali Abdullah Eissa Abu Quwah 24-Mar-2021
12 Abdulaziz Ja’afer Abdulaziz Ahmed Jawad Barbar 24-Mar-2021
13 Sayed Ahmed Alawi Jawad Mahfouz Ali 24-Mar-2021
14 Hassan Jawad Al-Mikhawdher Al-Sanabis 25-Mar-2021
15 Nuh Abdullah Hassan Ahmed Hassan Al-Amroum A’ali 25-Mar-2021
16 Ali Abbas Hassan Ali Ahmed Al-‘Asfour Al-Diraz 25-Mar-2021
17 Abdullah Qassim 26-Mar-2021
18 Sayed Qassim Jalil 26-Mar-2021
19 Sayed Nizar Ni’ma Baqer Ali Yusef Al-Wada’i A’ali 26-Mar-2021
20 Hadi Ibrahim Muhammed Amin Ibrahim Al-‘arab Bani Jamra 26-Mar-2021
21 Muhammed Ja’afer Talebb Ja’afer Abdullah Al-Ghisrah Bani Jamra 26-Mar-2021
22 Khalil Ibrahim Abdalrasool Al-Diraz 26-Mar-2021
23 Nasser Faisal Al-Naboul Sitra 26-Mar-2021
24 Ali Furaikh A’ali 26-Mar-2021
25 Mansour Al-Nasri A’ali 26-Mar-2021
26 Ali Ahmed Ja’afer Ahmed Laith Dar Kulaib 26-Mar-2021
27 Mustafa Abdulkareem Ibrahim Ali Hassan Khatem Karzakkan 26-Mar-2021
28 Sayed Ahmed Ali Abu Subai’ 26-Mar-2021
29 Ahmed Humeidan 27-Mar-2021
30 Hussein Yunis Ahmed  Sanad 23-Mar-2021
31 Abduljabbar Abdulhussein  Tubli 27-Mar-2021
32 Abbas Ibrahim Hassan Al-Majed Damistan 24-Mar-2021
33 Hussein Ali Saleh Al-Marzouq Al-Diraz 27-Mar-2021
34 Ahmed Ali Yusef Jassem Al-Saegh Abu Subai’ 26-Mar-2021
35 Sadeq Abdullah al-Ithna’ashar Al-Diraz 27-Mar-2021
36 Mazen Mansour Ahmed Al-Wenna Sitra 27-Mar-2021
37 Abbas Ahmed Khamees Al-Nuwaidrat 27-Mar-2021
38 Ahmed Jaber Radhi 27-Mar-2021
39 Ja’afer Muhammed Ali Thamer Dar Kulaib
40 Muhammed Ahmed Ali Ahmed Fakhrawi Manama 27-Mar-2021
41 ‘Adel Ahmed Ali Saleh Hamad Town 26-Mar-2021
42 Ahmed Ali Alsheik Hassan Sitra
43 Muhammed Ali Abdullah Nas
44 Muhammed Hassan Sahlan Al Eker
45 Sayed Hassan Shabber Tubli
46 Abdulzahra’a Abdulkareem Yaseen A’ali 27-Mar-2021
47 Sadeq Muhammed Ja’afer Al-Eker
48 Jawad Mirza Al-Dirazi Al-Diraz
49 Sadeq Abd Ali Al-‘Asfour 27-Mar-2021
50 Fadhel Ja’afer Rubai’i 27-Mar-2021
51 Nidhal Abdulaziz Jidhafs 28-Mar-2021
52 Hassan Ali Abdulhussein Al-‘Asfour Al-Diraz 28-Mar-2021
53 Salman Ali Salman Kazem Karzakkan 28-Mar-2021
54 Hassan Abdulhadi Al-Mikhreq Manama 28-Mar-2021
55 Sheikh Hassain Eissa Hassan Al-Marzouq Sitra 28-Mar-2021
56 Abdullah Hassan Ali Al-Sanabis 28-Mar-2021