Bahrain Mirror: The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) expressed its concern regarding the information it had received from inside prison, about the deteriorating health of its president, human rights activist Nabeel Rajab.

The Center reported, according to Rajab's Wife, Sumaya Rajab, that "On August 5, the Bahraini authorities postponed Rajab's urgent appointments with hospitals until the beginning of September. Nabeel was supposed to meet with consultants from the Bahrain [Military] Defense Force Hospital, to discuss an operation to remove a gallstone, and another one to treat an ulcer in his back."

"Before [Rajab] was arrested on June 13, 2016, the "SurgiCare" clinic had recommended that Rajab does an operation to remove the ulcer, after treating the infection with antibiotics," BCHR added in a statement on Monday (August 8, 2016).

"According to the information obtained by BCHR, this ulcer has aggravated to the extent that he is bleeding, due the poor conditions of detention. Rajab had asked his wife to get him bandages to stop the bleeding," the report further noted.

Moreover, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights indicated that the Bahraini authorities had postponed also an advisory session with a specialist in blood diseases, who was supposed to treat Rajab for his lack of immunity, stressing that Mr. Rajab did not suffer from this condition prior to his detention.

Furthermore, BCHR highlighted the fact that "since his detention, Mr. Rajab has been placed in solitary confinement at the Western Rafaa' police station, and in very bad conditions. The health conditions in his cell are not good at all, and the washrooms and toilet are very dirty and unsanitary, full of diseases and epidemics. Water in toilets either does not exist or is scarce. Mr. Rajab is in very limited contact with other prisoners, sometimes not lasting more than a couple of hours. The effects of these conditions will definitely lead to the deterioration of his health, especially that Mr. Rajab had asked his family for painkillers for his headache and lower-back pains."

Nabeel Rajab had been transferred to the hospital urgently on June 28, 2016, due to a malfunction in his heartbeat, and that was the only time he received specialized medical care since his arrest, according to the center. It also pointed out that the judge refused to release Mr. Rajab on August 2, 2016, despite knowing his ill health status.

Nabeel Rajab faces prison sentences up to 15 years for several charges related to Tweeting and Re-Tweeting about torture claims in Jaw Prison, and the Saudi war against Yemen. Although there has not been a lot of evidence acquired by the Public Prosecution, his trial is still ongoing.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights in conclusion, expressed deep concern about the safety of Nabeel Rajab, calling on the international community "to push for respect for basic human rights, to release him immediately and unconditionally, and to put an end to acts of retaliation conducted by the Bahraini government against human rights defenders".

Arabic Version