Bahraini detainee Saud Al-Amiri in Dry Dock Prison revealed that he was trying to end his life in protest against poor conditions inside the prison.
In a call from inside his prison, he said he attempted suicide four times in an attempt to put an end to the harsh conditions he is living in Bahraini prisons.
Al-Amiri appealed to the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa, to release him within the alternative penal code, as he is currently in Building 16 at Jaw Central prison.
Al-Amiri is sentenced to 10 years in prison in a criminal case. He complained that he was not able to receive treatment inside prison.
He further expressed his concerns over the spread of the Coronavirus inside prison and the increase of the number of detainees testing positive for COVID- 19.
The unfortunate news has reached me about the miserable conditions that prisoner Al-Amiri faces in prison, commented Sayed Al-Wadaei, Director of Advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy.
In a tweet, Alwadaei confirmed that Al-Amiri was tied to a bed in a crucifixion position, and Interior Ministry employees punished him for two days.
Testimonies of prisoners, the experience of their families, and many institutions confirm the difficult humanitarian situation inside prisons, due to ill-treatment, malnutrition, poor sanitary conditions and lack of medical care.
Peaceful sit-ins calling for the release of prisoners of conscience continue unconditionally, after the outbreak of Coronavirus.
The Coronavirus continues to overwhelm Bahrain’s prisons, recording new infections among prisoners in light of the deliberate medical negligence policy pursued by the Bahraini authorities.
Contrary to what the authorities stated, the number of prisoners infected with the virus has risen to 97, to date. Bahraini authorities have falsely announced only three cases in Jaw Central Prison.
Prison conditions, especially the central prison at Jaw in south-eastern Bahrain, were poor, with lack of sanitation and frequent ill-treatment, including arbitrary confiscation of personal items, reprisals for speaking out, and denial of adequate medical care.
Prisoners are subjected to restrictive measures and the government lacks transparency on the reality and numbers of cases of COVID- 19 among prisoners.
Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain accused the prison authorities of putting detainees under tremendous physical and psychological pressure instead of protecting them.
Bahraini prison administration isolates all detainees inside their cells and only allows them to go outside their cells for 15 minutes a day. Regular calls are prohibited, and detainees can only video contact their families, said ADHR.
On March 29, no breakfast or lunch was served to detainees, and a small dinner was served at 1 am. Meanwhile, detainees who were asleep did not eat.
Many of the detainees who were able to contact their families complained of hunger, while others expressed severe mental distress.
Muhammad Abd al-Nabi Abdullah Al-Khor, currently held in Building No. 20 of Jaw Prison, attempted suicide on March 29, 2021.
In an audio recording, his mother held the prison administration responsible for her son’s suicide attempt.
