Bahrain Mirror: Rapid Intervention forces at Jaw Central Prison stormed Building No. 6 and fired pepper spray (hot gas), which causes temporary blindness and shortness of breath, at prisoners in Ward 1 and 2.

Ibtisam Al-Saegh, head of the monitoring department at Salam for Democracy and Human Rights, confirmed that "the forces stormed the building over the peaceful protest staged by prisoners against transfer procedures, ill-treatment and medical negligence," indicating that "The forces deliberately fired spray at the prisoners through the small window in the the cell gates, the only means for prisoners to breathe."

"The prison administration forced prisoners to stay inside their cells all the day and canceled the hour they spend in the yard, as well as their scheduled visits. It also prevented them from calling their families, as an additional punishment," she said. 

Al-Saegh stressed that the "Jaw Prison administration continues to violate the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and uses repression as a means to restrain them," explaining that "one of the most important goals of the prison administrations in the world is to restore stability and security in the prison, however, the Jaw Prison administration deliberately escalates and inflames the situation."

Al-Saegh called on "the authorities concerned with prisoners' rights and human rights to pressure (Bahrain) to stop these provocative practices, which will lead to fatal injuries." 

Arabic Version