Bahrain continues the policy of deliberate medical neglect at prisons presstv.ir - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from presstv.ir Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Amid the outbreak of COVID-19 in Jau prison in Bahrain, we welcome the positive step taken by the government of Bahrain releasing a number of prisoners under the Alternative Penalty Law and continue to demand the release of more prisoners, especially the elderly and those with chronic diseases that place them at increased risk of severe illness from the virus, as well as prisoners of conscience who should not have been imprisoned in the first place.
On 4 April 2021, The General Directorate of Reform and Rehabilitation resumed family visits to prisoners who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 by only vaccinated family members, where the MOI had suspended family visits as part of preventive measures against the spread of Coronavirus. On 8 April 2021, the Public Prosecution Office announced the release of 73 prisoners under the Alternative Penalty law, totaling 3297 since its application. These releases were followed by a Royal Decree pardoning and releasing 91 oth
In December, several human rights groups wrote a letter to the incoming Biden administration requesting changes in U.S. foreign policy to Bahrain. 18 organizations, including Americans for Democracy and Human Rights and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, provided a blueprint on how to mitigate violence in Bahrain. According to Al Jazeera, the letter references Bahrain’s peaceful 2011 Arab Spring uprising, where thousands of protestors demanded democratic reform. However, the movement was quickly suppressed by the oppressive Al Khalifa regime in a “barrage of human rights violations followed by the imposition of draconian measures.” Concluding the letter, the organizations detail specific foreign policy recommendations, which include the release of wrongly imprisoned political opposition figures, compensation for victims of government abuse, and punishment for officials who have committed human-rights related crimes. Additionally, it was reported that the signatorie