Jaw Prison in Bahrain: a historic hunger strike called by 804 political prisoners
Since August 7, 2023, Jaw Prison, located in the southeast of Bahrain, has been the scene of an unprecedented hunger strike. No fewer than 804 political prisoners took part in this protest to denounce the poor detention conditions they face.
These prisoners are notably demanding more time outside their cells, thus exceeding the current limit of one hour per day. They are also demanding adequate access to medical care, which they are currently denied. Finally, they want the right to pray in groups in appropriate spaces.
The situation in Jaw Prison is particularly worrying. The prisoners who have started this hunger strike represent almost a third of the prison population at the facility. The testimonies collected from their family members are alarming.
According to Maryam al-Khawaja, daughter of a famous Bahraini opponent, her father, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, joined the strike on August 9, 2023. He suffers from a cardiac arrhythmia, but the authorities refuse to recognize his participation to the strike. Since the start of this protest movement, at least 30 prisoners have been transferred to hospital every day, often to receive plasma.
Conditions of detention at Jaw prison are described as “appalling” by observers. Prisoners are subjected to food and healthcare deprivation, and visits from their loved ones are limited to just 30 minutes, under restrictive access conditions. Family members are often delayed, humiliated, or even prevented from meeting their detained loved ones.
This hunger strike, which is the largest and longest in Bahrain’s history, has attracted the attention of several activists and human rights defenders. Supportive rallies took place in several villages, where hundreds of Bahrainis demanded the release of prisoners and shouted slogans calling for the fall of King Hamed bin Issa al-Khalifa, in power since 2002.
Faced with this mobilization, the authorities opted to isolate the strikers and refused to provide them with medical services until they ended their protest. In addition, some prisoners claim to have suffered violence from their guards in response to their demands.
This hunger strike highlights an alarming reality: the situation of political prisoners in Bahrain is worrying and requires international attention. It is imperative that the Bahraini authorities take measures to improve detention conditions and respect the fundamental rights of these detainees. As long as this situation persists, the fight for justice and freedom in Bahrain will only intensify.