Bahrain Mirror: The director of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) Sayed Ahmed Al-Wadaei revealed important details about the negotiation of officials in Jaw Central Prison and the Ministry of Interior with representatives of prisoners on hunger strike in the prison, pointing to promises made by officials to improve the prison conditions of prisoners, including returning "security isolation" prisoners, increasing the hours outside prison cells, extending the visiting periods that prisoners receive, allowing second-degree relatives to visit them, and improving prisoners' phone calls. 

Al-Wadaei said in a tweet that the meeting, which took place on Thursday, August 11, 2023, was attended by three officials representing the Ministry of Interior and "Jaw" prison: Officer Abdulrahman Al-Khashram, representing the prison administration, Captain Fouad (Jordanian officer) representing Preventive Security, and an officer representing the Ministry of Interior.

He pointed out that they negotiated the demands of the strike, the most important of which is returning "security isolation" prisoners to their cells, and officials made a promise that all these prisoners can be returned without exception within two weeks, adding that the prisoners demanded the abolition of this arbitrary system. 

He indicated that the prisoners demanded that they be taken out of their cells 4 hours a day for two periods, two hours in each period, and that the entire ward, i.e., the prisoners in 12 cells be allowed to go out at once. Currently, the prisoners of every 3 cells are allowed to leave their cells at once for an hour every day, and this long confinement for years has caused them health and psychological problems. 

He stated that officials had offered the prisoners that they would allow them to leave their cells for an hour and a half every day, that is, prisoners of 4 cells would be released at once. They also showed flexibility that prisoners of 6 cells could be allowed to leave their cells at once, meaning that two hours a day, and that this program would begin after a week. He stated that the prisoners were committed to a minimum period of 4 hours, noting that the prison administration gives longer periods to those convicted in criminal cases.

Al-Wadaei said that the current visits are limited to half an hour and from behind a glass barrier, and the allowed number of visitors is 6 people per visit, while second-degree relatives were recently prevented from visiting their imprisoned relatives. He revealed that officials said that a special visit without a barrier would be given to 4 prisoners from each building during each month. Al-Wadaei noted that the average number of prisoners in the buildings is 180, indicating that the prisoner will be allowed to conduct a visit without a barrier once every 4 years. 

He stressed that the prisoners adhere to their demand for a visit without a glass barrier, the re-allowing of second-degree relatives to visit them, and the extension of the duration of the visit to an hour.

Officials said that they will consider contracting with a telecommunications company other than Batelco due to the high cost of calls, and that the call will continue to 5 numbers per prisoner only, however, the prison administration will show flexibility to change the number quickly upon request, according to Al-Wadaei. 

While the prison administration claims to allow prisoners to practice religious rites, Al-Wadaei confirmed that it prevents Shiite prisoners from obtaining religious books, and they are even denied lamentation books.

These negotiations came four days after hundreds of political detainees in Jaw Central Prison began an open hunger strike on Monday, August 7, 2023, to demand their rights after the authorities ignored their demands and continued to violate their rights with unfair decisions such as isolation, denying them of the right to education and neglecting their health care, as well as the system of visits and congregational prayer.

Arabic Version