His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain,
Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa,
Your Majesty,
We write to you urgently on 8 July 2024. This date marks the third year since award-winning academic, blogger and human rights activist Dr Abduljalil Al Shinghaseh went on a liquids-only hunger strike in reaction to prison authorities seizing his manuscript on the Bahraini dialect of Arabic, which he spent four years researching and writing.
Dr Al-Singaseh, 62, is serving a life sentence and has been unjustly detained for more than 13 years solely for exercising his rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly.
28 human rights organizations are writing to you to mark the 1,000th day of the hunger strike on April 3, 2024. For the past three years, Dr. Al Shinghaseh has been surviving on only a liquid multivitamin supplement, tea with milk and sugar, water and salt. We reiterate our call for the immediate release of Dr. Al Shinghaseh from his unjust detention and for him to receive the medical care he urgently needs.
We regret that Dr. Al Singas, along with other prominent political leaders and activists, was not included in the recent amnesties issued by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on the occasion of Eid on April 8 and June 15, 2024, respectively. According to a study conducted by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), the April 8 amnesty released over 650 political prisoners, accounting for about 41% of the total amnesties. In contrast, the June 15 amnesty included only eight political prisoners, about 1.5% of the total amnesties, most of whom were serving short-term or alternative sentences. BIRD estimates that 546 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Bahrain, the majority of whom are in Jau Prison. Furthermore, BIRD found that opposition leaders are largely excluded from alternative sentencing measures and open prisons, which are key components of Bahrain’s prison reform plan.
We are concerned by the latest updates we have received recently from Dr. Al-Shingaseh through his family. On two occasions in early June this year, authorities failed to refill the doctor’s prescriptions in a timely and appropriate manner. On both occasions, Dr. Al-Shingaseh gave the authorities three days to refill, after which he escalated his hunger strike, consuming nothing but water. Shortly after the escalated strike, authorities provided the doctor with appropriate medication. All detainees must have access to adequate medical care as required by international law.
Doctors said Dr Al-Singas suffered from complex health problems as a result of his hunger strike, including low white blood cell count, tremors, prostate problems and shoulder pain, and that he also needed prescription glasses.
“Dr. Al-Singaseh has remained in solitary confinement in his room at Kanoo Medical Center for extended periods, barred from going outside, being exposed to direct sunlight, or receiving the physical therapy he needs for his disability. Additionally, authorities have denied the doctor proper crutches and have refused to replace the worn rubber tips on his crutches, as well as other essentials such as medical slippers to prevent him from falling in the bathroom and hot water bottles to relieve pain.”
We humbly appeal for your urgent intervention and urge you to immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Al-Singaseh while he is detained in conditions that meet international standards, ensure that he receives proper medical care, including medication without delay and access to specialists in accordance with medical ethics, and immediately release his research, which was arbitrarily seized, to his family.
Sincerely,
Bahrain Institute for Human Rights and Democracy (BIRD)ALQST for Human RightsAmericans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB)Amnesty InternationalArticle 19Cairo Institute for Human RightsSociety for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ)DAWNEEuropean Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR)Fair SquareGulf Coast Centre for Human Rights (GCHR)Human Rights FirstHuman Rights SentinelHuman Rights WatchIFEXInternational Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) within the framework of Human Rights WatchInternational Human Rights Service (ISHR)Middle East Democracy Centre (MEDC)No Justice, No PeacePEN AmericaBahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR)Raft Human Rights FoundationCenter for Realizing RightsSalamDemocracy and Human RightsScholars at RiskGlobal Organization Against Torture (OMCT) within the framework of Human Rights WatchHuman Rights Activists
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