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No Alternative Penalties for Sick Prisoners

2020-01-30 - 12:38 م

Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): The campaign entitled #Sick_Prisoners_in_Bahrain prompted families in the island kingdom to speak out about the sufferings of their ailing sons behind bars. The campaign revealed the large amount of ignored cases of poor health conditions that are increasing in terms of number and severity among political prisoners. Families tweeted with pain, concern and cries for help.

Tweeter Um Ali recounted through a series of tweets the suffering of her son saying: "My son is 24 years old. He looks older than his age. His teeth are overlapping, they need to be cleaned and treated. He suffers from scabies. He has suffered from hemorrhoids since 2015. He was arrested in January 2016 and needs special meals that contain brown bread. Why is his treatment being neglected?

According to Um Ali, there are more than 70 prisoners suffering from scabies and not receiving adequate treatment. She says that "prisoners in cell 2, building 4 in Jaw prison, were not treated for scabies. The infected have exceeded 70 now. This is the second time I call the medical affairs directorate to treat my son. They only register his name and ID and do nothing else." She indicated that her son has allergies and large pimples all over his body, noting that she doesn't know the cause.

Um Ali stressed that some cases have developed to skin ulceration and that her son is among them. She wished that they would get treated because cases are rapidly increasing due to the spread of infection.

Tweeter Hussain Khalaf wrote about his brother's suffering, saying: "My brother Mahdi Khalaf is sentenced to life imprisonment. It's been 4 years and 3 months, and all his requests to be admitted to Al-Salmaniya hospital or other hospitals to have his colon examined were rejected. His pain is getting worse day after day. My brother has not been admitted to the hospital since his arrest. He asked me once: Brother, do you think I will get out alive if I stayed without treatment?"

Noor Ali also wrote a series of tweets about her brother's suffering in prison: "My brother was suffering from disc problems and after his arrest he was being tortured on his problem area. He was kept in Al-Qalaa Clinic for three days and had back surgery during his detention. When they transferred him to Jaw Prison, he was denied a back strap that would help him move. My brother has no bed to sleep on."

"The torture was focused on his knee until it became badly damaged. He started to perform his prayers while sitting. At first, he used to go to his appointments at Al-Salmaniya and then they were denied. I ask my brother what are you going to do now. He replies: It's better this way, because we are severely beaten in the bus that transfers us to the hospital, which increases our pain," she added.

Noor continues: "I tell my brother to explain his situation to his prison inmates so that one of them would offer him his bed. He says: I feel embarrassed to talk about my illness in the face of their sufferings. They are all elderly and ailing."

Another series of tweets tackled other cases of ill prisoners. Yahya Al-Hadid says: "Mohammad Faraj has sclerosis. He is a political prisoner and has been in prison for more than 5 years. The Bahraini authorities prevented him from continuing his treatment. His disease and health condition didn't give him the chance to get released, despite the appeals launched by activists and human rights defenders."

"Prisoner of conscience Fadhel Abbas has life-threatening lupus, from which he suffered about 6 months after his arrest. He has been suffering from it for more than 7 years. He needs constant health care and follow-up on his mental state. His health has deteriorated amid the deliberate negligence of the Jaw Prison administration."

 

 

"Prisoner Mohammad Al-Mulla pulled out his own teeth because of the severe pain and the prison administration's refusal to offer him treatment. Our prisoners are in untrustworthy hands, as they are being subjected to a slow death."

 

 

Elias Al-Mulla is a prisoner of conscience, who was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment over politically-motivated charges. He was arrested in 2012, and is threatened by a disease, endangering his life, but the Khalifa regime is intent on depriving him of the necessary treatment for his condition.

 

 

Prisoner of conscience Mohammed Al-Meqdad suffers from severe stomach pains that impede his movement. Amid systematic medical negligence and denial of treatment, his condition became worse.

 

 

Inmate Hussein Ali Khamis suffers from a psychological condition and loss of memory. Instead of being treated, he is beaten, ill-treated and ridiculed by mercenary jailers.

 

 

As for diabetics, human rights defender Ibtisam Al-Saegh says: "There are more than 20 prisoners in Bahraini prisons with diabetes suffering from difficult conditions and an intolerable atmosphere for their weak bodies. The suffering of Hussein Daif is multiplied since he suffers pulmonary tuberculosis. Meanwhile, Mohammed Al-Daqaeq is experiencing additional sufferings: He has sickle cell anemia and was born with one kidney. The threat surrounds them every moment," She says. Al-Saegh wonders "Who is entitled to alternative punishment more than a sick prisoner?"

 

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