UN experts advise Bahrain to guarantee detainees receive sufficient food and water during extreme temperatures

Independent experts working with the United Nations have called on Bahrain to ensure that detainees at Jaw prison have access to adequate food, water, and medical care amidst allegations that guards have turned off the air conditioning during the hot summer months. Bahrain has denied these accusations, stating that prisoners receive the same healthcare as the general public. This request from the U.N. experts follows a mass hunger strike by prisoners at the facility a year ago, with many of them identified as dissidents opposing the ruling Al Khalifa family by human rights activists.

Tensions have long existed between Bahrain’s Sunni rulers and the Shiite majority on the island, with complaints of discrimination. The U.N. experts have received concerning reports about the conditions of prisoners since March, including claims of inadequate medical care, limited access to food and water, and extreme heat exposure due to the lack of air conditioning, with temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

Prisoners also face restricted communication with their families and limited movements, raising further concerns about their well-being. The experts emphasized that lowering standards as a form of punishment for prisoners exercising their rights to complain is inappropriate. Bahrain asserts that Jaw prison has received international accreditation and upholds detainees’ rights and services, maintaining a safe and secure environment.

Jaw prison, located at the southern end of Bahrain, has been a subject of activist concerns regarding medical care in the past. The 2023 U.S. State Department human rights report highlighted activists’ warnings about harsh conditions at the facility, including physical abuse, solitary confinement, inadequate sanitary conditions, and medical care. Despite reports of a tuberculosis outbreak in June 2022, the government denied the claims.

Bahrain, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet and has been cracking down on dissent since the Arab Spring protests, has imprisoned Shiite activists, revoked citizenship, and closed independent media outlets. The country has also made diplomatic strides by recognizing Israel and hosting Pope Francis in November 2022.