Bahrain: MEPs question worrying sanitary conditions in prisons

Brussels, December 6, 2022 - Several MEPs, including Francisco Guerreiro MEP, questioned the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy about the worrying sanitary conditions in Bahrain's prisons for political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.


Read the question:


Subject: Worrying health conditions in Bahrain's prisons for political prisoners and prisoners of conscience


Political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Bahrain face increasingly harsh conditions and are currently at risk of contracting tuberculosis.
According to information from the non-governmental organization Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), received from inmates and later corroborated by the Bahraini authorities, several cases of tuberculosis have been confirmed in Jau prison, the main prison in Bahrain, where the prison authorities have refused to carry out diagnostic tests on inmates.

The overcrowding inside the prison, the low sanitary standards and the lack of adequate medical care mean that any deadly outbreak could spread further. Political prisoners suffer the most from this situation, since, in addition to being held on the basis of false accusations and confessions obtained under torture, they also currently face the risk of death.


In light of the above:


1. is the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) aware of this worrying situation?


2. What measures has the VP/HR already taken or does he intend to take to secure the immediate release of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience arbitrarily detained in Bahrain's prisons?


Read the Commission's response below:

Share this post