Children Behind Bars: Violations of Children’s Rights in Bahraini Prisons

SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights (SALAM-DHR) has been closely monitoring the issue of detained children in Bahrain. Throughout 2024, SALAM-DHR documented the cases of 14 children under the age of 18 who were arrested and detained in Dry Dock prison, bringing the total number of minors detained in the prison to 38. Their ages range from 15 and 17 years old. Additionally, one of the 14 children was sentenced on political charges. 

Whilst the conditions of arrest vary, legal procedures and international guarantees for fair trial were violated. No warrants were presented to the minors upon their arrests and some children were subjected to psychological and physical torture to extract confessions on fabricated charges. Additionally, they were denied access to legal counsel during interrogations.

Ongoing Violations Suffered by Child Detainees

From late September to December 2024, child detainees reported various violations, including:

1. Deprivation of Religious Practices
   Children in detention reported the systematic denial of their right to practice religious rituals, especially during significant religious occasions. Even when submitting official requests to observe such rituals, they were often rejected without clear justification. Attempts to practice rituals individually or collectively often resulted in severe punishments, including solitary confinement, denial of family communication, or restriction of basic needs. Such restrictions on religious freedom constitute a blatant violation of fundamental human rights safeguarded by international and humanitarian laws.
2. Denial of Family Visits
   The prison administration continues to deny family visits to detained children. While safety measures introduced during COVID-19 pandemic were the initial justification, this excuse has become progressively less convincing, especially after life has returned to normal in many institutions. Currently, visits are denied under the pretext of facility renovations, an explanation that lacks credibility, especially given the absence of alternatives like video calls or arrangements for temporary visits. The prolonged denial of family visits is a clear violation of the child detainees’ right to maintain family ties, a core right supported by international law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. These restrictions also negatively affect the psychological state of children and their families.
3. Denial of Clean or New Clothing
   Detained children have reported been denied clean or new clothing, forcing them to wear old, worn-out clothes for extended periods of time. This has led to skin diseases among detainees due to the continued use of unhygienic garments. This deprivation represents a severe neglect of the detainees’ health and hygiene needs, exacerbating their suffering and endangering their well-being.
4. Denial of Education
   Detained children are prevented from attending school regularly, including those in their final school year. This denial poses a grave threat to their educational futures and career prospects and violates their fundamental right to education.
5. Collective Punishment and Solitary Confinement
   Reports indicate that detained children are frequently subjected to collective punishment and solitary confinement as disciplinary measures. These punishments include the denial of family contact, further isolating them and negatively impacting their emotional well-being. Solitary confinement is particularly harsh, isolating them completely from the outside world and causing severe psychological harm.
6. Denial of Medical Treatment and Dignity Violations
   Detained children currently face a deprivation of necessary medical care, leading to severe health complications. Emergency and ongoing medical needs are often ignored by prison staff, leaving children to suffer without adequate treatment.
7. Poor Quality of Beds, Blankets and Pillows
   Detained children report the use of old and inadequate bedding, including mattresses, blankets, and pillows that fail to provide basic comfort. The leather-covered materials exacerbate their discomfort, becoming unbearably cold in winter and hot in summer, further affecting their health and sleep quality.
8. Poor-Quality Meals
   Detained children receive poor-quality meals that lack adequate nutrition, which is essential for their growth and health. These meals are often unbalanced, unappetizing, and made with low-quality ingredients, failing to meet basic dietary needs.
9. Lack of Recreational Programmes and Activities
   Detained children lack access to recreational programmes that could alleviate their psychological and social stress, caused by their incarceration. The absence of activities to develop their personal and intellectual skills leaves them facing prolonged periods of unproductive time.

Red Cross Visit on November 25-26

Detained children reported temporary improvements in conditions ahead of the November 2024 visit from the International Red Cross (IRC) team. Cells were cleaned, and basic items like blankets were provided, only to be withdrawn after the team’s departure. This manipulation of conditions highlights a genuine lack of commitment to improving detainees’ long-term well-being. 

Despite the reported temporary improvements, the aforementioned violations highlight the urgent need for continued advocacy and international pressure to improve child detainees’ prison conditions and ensure the respect of their fundamental rights. 

Exposing children to detention and violence deprives them of their natural right to health and education and leads to long-term psychological and social repercussions. Therefore, SALAM-DHR recommends that the Bahraini authorities: 

1. Release all detained children and avoid using imprisonment as a punitive measure against them;
2. Uphold the best interests of the child as per international child rights laws;
3. Allow visits to Bahrain from UN Special Rapporteurs and international committees and organizations, including the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child; and
4. Abolish imprisonment for individuals under 18 years old.