letter to the Secretary-General of the , the United Nations High Commissioner of Michelle Bachelet, Representatives of the European Parliament, Member States of the Human Rights Council, and international human rights institutions

Subject: A call to urgently address the Bahraini authorities to release all prisoners of conscience and allow the UN rapporteurs to visit them.

Following the statement issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Michelle Bachelet on March 25, 2020, in which she expressed her grave concern regarding prison overcrowding in a number of countries around the world – a situation of unclean and unsanitary conditions in which many inmates reside1, which could be a factor in wide-spreading the Coronavirus – and calling for the release of the largest possible number of prisoners as a decisive measure in limiting the spread of Covid-19.2

In the wake of the number of infected cases reaching 114 – as initially, Jau Central Prison security forces did not announce the onset of cases, delivering in a non-transparent manner the information regarding the first 3 cases, the details of the total number of cases, and the proper initiation of contact tracing – and as a result of the repeated complaints received by the prisoners and their families regarding poor prison conditions,3 including the lack of adequate food quantities in the first week of the declaration of several COVID-19 infected cases; and in light of overcrowding in Bahraini prisons, especially as there is a large number of prisoners of conscience detained due to arbitrary reasons relating to freedom of expression; and given the lack of confidence in healthcare standards inside prison: we implore you to urgently address the Bahraini authorities and call for the release of all prisoners of conscience, and to allow the United Nations Special Rapporteur on and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading

1 To OHCHR’s statement available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1060252 2 OHCHR – MENA regional office comment available at: https://twitter.com/OHCHR_MENA/status/1381618361877065730?s=20 [Arabic] 3 Amnesty report available at https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/04/bahraini-authorities-flouting- prisoners-rights-to-health-amid-rise-in-covid-19-cases-at-jaw-prison/

Treatment or Punishment to visit Bahrain and monitor the prison conditions and to investigate into the death of the victim of torture and medical neglect, Abbas Mal Allah.4

We, the signatories of this memorandum, invite you to urgently address the Bahraini authorities and call for the release of all prisoners of conscience; to call for the allowance of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to visit Bahrain to monitor prison conditions and investigate the death of the victim of torture and medical neglect, Abbas Mal Allah.

Distinguished Mr.______,

The most severe forms of torture and ill-treatment in recent years that has been detected in prisons is the ‘denial of medical care’. From January 2018 to March 15, 2021, there were 776 cases of violations of the right to receive appropriate and necessary medical treatment.5

The deterioration of prison conditions in previous cases has caused many complaints and led to many protests that demand prison administrations to meet the minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners. The most prominent of these protests were unrest at Dry Dock Prison in 2013, and the unrest at Jaw Central Prison in 2015.

In previous cases, the deterioration of prison conditions had raised many complaints which led to many protests demanding the prison administration to meet the minimum standards for the treatment of its prisoners. The most prominent of these protests took place in 2013 at Hidd Prison and in 2015 at Jau Central Prison.

The organizations have noted that the release of prisoners in light of the COVID-19 pandemic is fewer and slower than it should be: the release of ((X)) prisoner of conscience cases have been recorded since March 2020. Among those cases, many had already ended their sentences prior to their release.

4 OHCHR – MENA regional office comment available at: https://twitter.com/OHCHR_MENA/status/1381619244027236354?s=20 [Arabic] 5 SALAM DHR and BFHR’s report available at: https://bfhr.org/english/article.php?id=989&cid=148

With utmost gratitude and appreciation,

Manama, Geneva, 20/5/2021

Signatories;

1. The Moroccan Coordination for Human Rights Organizations (include 26 HR organizations from Morocco, Mauretania, , and Libya) 2. The Jordan Federation of the independent Trade Unions 3. Swiss Academy for Human Rights-Geneva 4. Tunisian Coalition Against the Death Penalty 5. The Human Rights Coalition to Stop the Aggression, Lift the Siege, and Build Peace in Yemen (includes 10 organizations from ten Arab countries) 6. The Moroccan Coalition for Human Rights Bodies (includes 20 Moroccan human rights organizations) 7. Soumoud Coalition 8. The Arab Program for HumanRightsActivists / Egypt 9. The Academic Assembly for the support of Palestine-Lebanon 10. Women’s Cultural Assembly for Democracy / Iraq 11. Cultural Rally for Democracy / Iraq 12. The Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering-RDFL 13. Jordan Coalition Against the Death Penalty 14. The Iraqi Alliance for Human Rights Organizations (includes 55 organizations) 15. The Arab Coalition against the Death Penalty 16. The Syrian Women's Alliance to implement Security Council Resolution 1325 in Syria 17. Yemeni Coalition Against the Death Penalty 18. International Council Supporting Fair Trial & HR [ ICSFT ] 19. Ibn Rushd Association for Development and Democracy / Iraq 20. Friends of the Disabled Association-Lebanon 21. Perspectives El Amel Ettounsi Association 22. The Jordan Society for Human Rights 23. Civil Solidarity Association / Tunis 24. ATTALAKAI for freedom and equality 25. The Tunisian Association for the Equity, Social Justice and Human Dignity 26. Association Tunisienne de l’Action Culturelle

27. Tunisian Association for the Defense of Individual Freedoms / Tunisia 28. Tunisian Association of Democratic Women 29. Jordanian Jurists Association / Jordan 30. The Association for the Defense of (ASDHOM-France) 31. Working Women Association / Jordan 32. ART STREET Association - Tunisia 33. Palestinian Institute for Communication and Development Society / Palestine 34. The Moroccan Association for Human Rights 35. The Moroccan Association for Women Progressive 36. Association of the Economic and Social Forum for Women / Jordan 37. Association for Citizenship, Development, Cultures and Migration in the Both Bank / Tunisia 38. The Mauritanian Association for the Promotion of Rights 39. Mauritanian Association for Human Rights 40. ALMizan Association for Development and Human Rights/Iraq 41. TunisianWomen’s Association for Research on Development 42. Arab Women Organization-Jordan 43. Bint Al-Badiyah Society for Human Rights / Jordan 44. Intersection Association for Rights and Freedoms (Tunisia) 45. Diyar Al-Ezz Association for Rights and Freedoms / Jordan 46. Rasid Association for Human Rights/ Lebanon 47. Roaa Women Association-Jordan 48. Free Sight Association/Tunisia 49. Association of Arts and Cultures of the Both Bank / Tunisia 50. Amman Society Forum for Human Rights 51. Association Nachaz-Dissonances Tunisia 52. Vigilance Association for Democracy and the Civic State / Tunisi 53. Collective Memory for Freedom and Democracy / Tunisia 54. The Tunisian League for Defense Human Rights 55. The Algerian League for Defense Human Rights 56. Ligue des juristes démocrates libanais 57. Bahrain Press Association 58. Women’s Association in Iraqi Kurdistan 59. League for Human Rights Trainers in Iraqi Kurdistan Region 60. Freedom Pioneers for Integrity and Human Rights Training / Jordan

61. The Jordanian Network for Human Rights (includes 10 human rights organizations) 62. Independent Journalists Network / Sudan 63. Justus Network for Prisoners/Iraq 64. The Arab Human Rights Trainers Network 65. Volunteer Network for Development and Human Rights / Egypt 66. Women’s Peace and Security Network (Yemen) 67. Palestinian NGOs Network (includes 142 institutions) 68. Shams Network for Election Observation / Iraq 69. Muwatin Media Network-UK 70. The Syrian Federation for Human rights Organization& Bodies (includes more than 50 organization) 71. ALQST for Human Rights/Saudi Arabia 72. Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and (LDH) 73. Arab Commission for Human Rights/Paris 74. The Vigilance Committee for Democracy in Tunisia / Belgium 75. The Committee for the Respect of Freedoms and 76. Yemeni Council for Rights and Freedoms / Yemen 77. International Observatory for Documentation of Human Rights Violations/ Argentina 78. Human Rights & Democracy Media Center “SHAMS"/Palestine 79. The international center for supporting rights and freedoms . Swiss Association 80. Land Center for Human Rights / Egypt 81. Arab Women Media Center / Jordan 82. Al-Badeel Center for Research and Studies / Jordan 83. Arab House Center for Research and Studies / Egypt 84. Center for Development, Support and Information - DAM/ Egypt 85. Elhaq Center for Democracy and Human Rights/Egypt 86. Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture-Lebanon 87. Center for the Defense of Freedoms and Civil Rights "Hurriyat" / Palestine 88. The Omani Center for Human Rights(OCHR-Oman) 89. Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy Issues/Palestine 90. Legal Center for Rights and Development/Yemen 91. Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC) 92. El Nadim Center For Management & Rehabilitation of victims of violence 93. Yemen Center for Human Rights 94. Tunis Centre for Press Freedom

95. Human Rights Center for Memory & Archives/Morocco 96. Human Rights and Polling Center-Sana’a University /Yemen 97. Damascus Center for Theoretical and Civil Studies 98. Ramallah Center for HumanRightsStudies (RCHRS) 99. Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) 100. Word Center for Human rights Studies/Egypt 101. Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights 102. The Egyptian Democratic Institute for Awareness of Constitutional and LegalRights / Egypt 103. Bahrain Forum for Human Rights 104. Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights 105. Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights (Yemen) 106. The Civil Forum in Sudan (which includes 54 civil society organizations) / Sudan 107. The Moroccan Forum for Truth and Equity 108. Tunisia Youth Empowerment Forum 109. The EgyptianParallel Forum / USA 110. The Tunisian Organization against Torture 111. Gender Studies and Information Organization / Iraq 112. International Organization for Human Rights and International Law / Norway 113. Organization for Pease and Social Security(OPSS)/ Yemen 114. The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Syria 115. Moroccan Organization of Human Rights 116. Al MouelOrganization for Rights and Development / Yemen 117. Entesaf Organization for Woman and C 118. Insan Organization for Human Rights and Peace/Yemen 119. Supporters of Human Freedom Organization / Iraq 120. Tahama Organization for Rights, Development and Human Heritage/Yemen 121. ORGANIZATION FOR FREEDOM OF MEDIAS AND EXPRESSION- OFME- HATIM / MOROCCO 122. Human Rights Organization in Syria- Maf 123. Sawah Organization for Human Rights -Iraq 124. Salam Organization for Democracy and Human Rights 125. Desert Youth Organization for Development and Human Rights / Libya 126. The Organization of the Martyr of Freedom NabeelBarkati: Memory and Fidelity 127. Yemeni Organization for Defense Rights and Democratic Freedoms/Yemen

128. Foundation Promising Voices for Human Rights / Egypt 129. Social mobilization Foundation Development/Yemen 130. The Foundation for Development and Human Rights (Yemen) 131. The Arab Foundation to support Civil Society and Human Rights/Egypt 132. Association-Hassen Saadaoui Foundation for Democracy and Equality- Tunisia 133. Future Partners Foundation for Development and Human Rights - Yemen 134. Amel Association International-Lebanon 135. Justice Foundation for Human Rights / Yemen 136. Yemeni Lawyers Syndicate 137. The National Commission for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Rule of Law / Palestine 138. The International Commission for Supporting the Rights of the Palestinian People