Statement from Hunger Striker on Jau Prison Conditions
Bahraini prisoner Ali Fakhrawi, one of hundreds of Bahraini prisoners on hunger strike, sent a voice recording from Jau Prison, detailing the appalling conditions for individuals in the “isolation” buildings – while they are not held in solitary confinement, they are held with individuals with which they do not share a common language, culture, or religion. The prisoners claim that this is an intentional move by the prison authorities to isolate political prisoners while still maintaining that they are not held in solitary confinement.
On 15 August 2019, 15 of the prisoners in these “isolation” cells began a hunger strike to protest these conditions. Since then, the number has grown to include 196 additional prisoners in Jau, as well as a reported 400 individuals detained in Dry Dock Detention Center. The demands for those on hunger strike are that the prison end religious persecution, remove barriers during family visitation, end the “isolation” practice, and to stop beatings by prison guards.
Read the full statement here.
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