Three Irish MPs raise the case of opposition leader Hassan Mushaima detained in Bahrain
Three representatives in the Irish Parliament have questioned Foreign Minister Simon Coveney about human rights violations in Bahrain.
The deputies inquired of Covini about the efforts being made by his government to release Hassan Mushaima, a prominent political opposition leader in Bahrain. Bahraini, however, continues to detain him and deny the 73-year-old from undergoing his cancer examination since October 2019.
Earlier, the Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights has brought attention to the harsh conditions Mushaima faces in Jau Central Prison, where prison administration ignores his deteriorating conditions despite his vicious cancer and old age.
Representative Nile Collins addressed the Secretary of State and asked for his views on the matters raised in the correspondence about Mushaima.
Representative Joan Collins also inquired whether the Secretary of State would address the grave human rights violations and the absence of democratic institutions in Bahrain. She also asked whether her government had intervened to demand the release of the opposition leader, Mushaima.
Furthermore, Representative Michael Creed asked the Foreign Minister about his views on the arrest of Mushaima and the Irish efforts being made to release him.
Minister Simon Coveney answered the MPs’ questions, saying: “The issue of human rights in Bahrain remains a source of grave concern, and we are concerned about the continuing cases of violations of basic freedoms. I also follow with concern the reports on the health and safety of Hassan Mushaima.”
“Ireland urges all countries to protect human rights of prisoners and detainees as stipulated in the United Nations Standard Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners,” the Minister further commented.
The Minister stated that respect for human rights will be taken care of through international bodies and participation in the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Furthermore, the Special Representative of the European Union for Human Rights, through the European Union and its delegation in Riyadh (accredited to Bahrain), addressed his human rights concerns to the Bahraini government.
Simon Coveney stressed that Ireland will continue to monitor developments in Bahrain and calls on the Bahraini government to make progress on its human rights obligations.
Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain have thanked the three MPs who asked questions about Mushaima and the human rights situation in Bahrain.
In a press release, the organization stressed that human rights violations in Bahrain continue without deterrence, and Bahrainis need the international community to stand up to these violations, too.
Recently, the International Center for the Support of Rights and Freedoms in Bahrain confirmed that Mushaima’s condition is extremely deteriorating. Despite the fact the he was previously denied treatment for a full 117 days, that the administration decides to move with cruelty against patient prisoners like Murshima, especially those detained against political opinion.
