The situation regarding Bahrain’s prisons has periodically been a topic of concern and debate, particularly in relation to those regarded by the opposition as political prisoners. Some political prisoners have resorted to hunger strikes as a form of protest, making claims about their treatment and the conditions within the prisons.
These claims are primarily based on allegations of mistreatment, torture, denial of medical attention, and lack of due process. There is an evident trend of seasonal hunger strikes by political opposition figures in Bahrain’s prisons with the aim of gaining media attention, especially during times when Bahrain is being positively portrayed on the international stage.
This latest reported hunger strikes come following the recent removal of Bahrain from the list of priority countries in the UK’s human rights and democracy report.
Bahrain has implemented several human rights and prison reforms over the last decade. These reforms include efforts to improve conditions within prisons, enhance transparency, and protect prisoners’ rights.
However, despite these positive steps, some elements of the opposition in Bahrain often fail to acknowledge or appreciate these reforms, as they continue to highlight existing grievances while disregarding all the positive measures.
The international stance on hunger strikes in prisons is guided by the United Nations conventions on human rights. According to the UN, hunger strikes are considered a form of peaceful protest and are protected under the right to freedom of expression and the right to be free from torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that prisoners are treated humanely and that their claims are thoroughly investigated.
The hunger strike of political opposition activist Abdulhadi Khawaja, has once again gained attention. Khawaja has repeatedly engaged in continuous hunger strikes, and his family initially claimed that he is being denied necessary medical attention.
The ideal way to address prisoners who go on hunger strike, falsely or not, is through a comprehensive and impartial investigation into their claims. This includes providing appropriate medical attention, ensuring due process, and addressing any legitimate concerns regarding prison conditions. Bahrain’s government has indeed paid attention to Khawaja’s hunger strike. According to his family, he was transferred to the hospital on the third day of his hunger strike where he was provided the necessary medical attention due to health complications resulted from the hunger strike.
Bahrain has improved its prison system and human rights record by implementing various reforms. These reforms include the establishment of the Ombudsman Office, which investigates complaints of mistreatment, and the Prisoners and Detainees Rights Commission, which monitors and protects the rights of prisoners. Additionally, efforts have been made to improve infrastructure, enhance training for prison staff, and promote transparency.
The reforms were recently spearheaded by the open prison system which is considered a remarkable development with regards to human rights reforms in Bahrain. Yet seemingly prisoners associated with the political opposition disregard such organisations while raising their grievances and choose to go on hunger strikes in order to gain international attention to their case.
It is important to note that the exploitation and politicisation of prisoners’ situations by the political opposition is a complex issue that involves power dynamics and differing political agendas. Hence, such issues should be approached objectively in order to avoid generalizations.
The focus should remain on respecting human rights and ensuring that prisoners’ claims are verified through the right channels, while acknowledging the positive steps taken by the Bahraini government in terms of human rights and prison reforms.