A hunger strike is taking place at a jail in Bahrain where prisoners of conscience are held, with at least 500 inmates rejecting meals as a form of protest against their conditions. On August 7, detainees started refusing to eat, and the number has only grown since then.
Former Jau prisoner and current member of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), Sayed Alwadaei, stated, "This is probably one of the most powerful strikes that [have] ever happened inside the Bahraini prison system; the scale of it is overwhelming."
'Not Frivolous Demands, but Necessary Ones'
Inmates released a statement through the illegal Al-Wefaq opposition party detailing their requests:
- More time outside their cells (currently one hour per day)
- Congregational prayers at the prison mosque
- Looser restrictions on family visits
- Better educational facilities
- Better medical care
The inmates emphasized that these needs were not trivial but rather essential to sustaining human life. "These are not frivolous demands, but necessary ones required for human life."
Bahrain, a small island in the Gulf with a population of little over 2 million, has one of the highest imprisonment rates in the region. BIRD believes that 1,200 inmates are prisoners of conscience out of a total of 3,800 inmates.
Many protesters have been jailed in Bahrain ever since 2011 when pro-democracy rallies against the ruling Al Khalifa family swept the country. The government has banned two political parties as part of a comprehensive assault on activists, civil society, and opposition political groupings.
Reports of Medical Neglect, Harsh Solitary Imprisonment
Jau prison houses the vast majority of Bahrain's about 1,200 political detainees. Political prisoners, according to ex-inmates like Alwadaei, are isolated in their own cells and treated harshly. According to The Guardians, other inmates have also reported widespread instances of medical neglect, punitive solitary confinement, and assault.
Some political detainees in Jau are reportedly on a hunger strike, including prominent figures like human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja.
After being refused access to a cardiologist 11 times, al-Khawaja's daughter, activist Maryam, claims he went on a hunger strike to get the care he needed for a heart condition while he was in prison beginning in 2011.
Maryam said his father was in grave danger due to a lack of medical attention. He is at constant risk for a heart attack or a stroke due to his cardiac arrhythmia.
She claims her father was singled out for extra punishment because he advocated for better healthcare for inmates.
The family of dissident Ahmed Jaafar Mohamed Ali said he had joined the hunger strike. Ali was deported from Serbia to Bahrain last year despite a judgment from the European Court of Human Rights that warned he would be tortured in Bahrain.
Ali's family claims that on August 15, when Ali requested to see the Jau duty officer, the officer came and ordered other guards to pepper spray Ali in the face.
