Outrage in Bahrain After Alleged Attacks on Political Prisoners at Jau Jail

Families of political prisoners have rallied in front of Bahrain’s Jau jail after news about attacks on detainees; which caused public anger and triggered protests by detainee relatives.

Sources revealed that several political prisoners were injured after the attack took place at Jau Prison Building 13, Ward 2, with reports Building 12 has also been attacked. Reports also revealed that all victims are political prisoners.

Families of abused political prisoners have rallied outside Jau jail in Bahrain carrying banners reading “Save Bahraini Prisoners” and calling for the release of the detainees; with news that they have lost contact with them after the alleged assault.

Thousands of tweets were released since the latest news of attacks on political prisoners at Jau jail; activists have released several hashtags to announce their support to the families protesting outside the jail, including “#أنقذوا_سجناء_البحرين and #اطلقوا_سجناء_البحرين” which mean “save and release” Bahraini detainees.

CCTV cameras have recorded the attacks on political prisoners, revealing that Captian Ahmed Al-Amadi led the alleged attack, with the assist of Captian Muhammad Abdul Hameed Maarouf. The assault came after the prisoners’ complaint over bad conditions at Jau jail.

Sources reveal Bahraini authorities want to investigate the attacks in Jau Prison Building 13, Ward 2 and building 12. However, not to know why and how did it start, but to figure out who leaked the information outside the prison.

Furthermore, latest data shows that coronavirus cases inside the Bahraini jails are creepy. Amnesty International worried about the situation there after 70 cases were announced as no face masks or hand sanitizers are distributed or given to the detainees.

Family members of prisoners spoke to the human rights organization saying that since March, they verified that dozens of confirmed coronavirus cases were among prisoners, according to an online testing status system by the health ministry.

The protests have been going on for a while so as the hashtags which are said to have been trending for the past three weeks on Twitter. Families of political prisoners in Bahrain are only calling the authorities to assure the safety of their relatives after the latest violent news and the coronavirus outbreak in the Jau prison as the detainees are banned from contacting people outside.

At the beginning of April, Bahrain has freed a number of detainees, including long-term political prisoners, following rallies by their families due to COVID-19 cases in the jail. 

Manama authorities promised to release a total of 199 prisoners and detainees but only 166 were freed until this moment from Jau jail which is located east of the kingdom.