Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): President of Bahrain Forum for Human Rights, Baqer Darwish, commented on the outbreak of Coronavirus inside Jaw Central Prison and the infection of number of inmates saying "The detainees' experience of being denied health care by the prison administration as one of the preferred methods of torture leads us to question how the security authorities would deal with prisoners after COVID-19 reaches prisons."

"I cannot believe that those who were forcing detainees to sign confessions after pulling out their nails would turn into medical angels if any prisoner was infected with this disease," he added.

Darwish wondered "What do the authorities want after the "excess of violations" outcome in ten years in Bahrain? Why do they insist on not releasing prisoners of conscience despite the threat of an outbreak of COVID-19 in prisons?" "It is the doctrine of political revenge," he stated.

"There is no societal confidence in what the Bahraini Ministry of Interior reports through its lengthy statements about prison conditions. The head of Public Security, Tariq Al-Hassan, may find himself unable to convince even the security services of his claims of safety procedures if the pandemic spreads in prisons."

Darwish spoke about the role of the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) saying that this institution searches for the cameras of Bahrain TV to release statements whose primary function is "denying violations".

"The narration of those associated with the security system in the country cannot be trusted. Why was the new visit request of the UN Special Rapporteur on torture not answered? I have no doubt that the Rapporteur on torture would have raised his concerns about poor health care in prisons while he listened to the statements of victims as they narrated how violating their right to receive appropriate treatment was an essential choice for interrogators."

Arabic Version