[The following press released was issued by Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) on 1 July 2016]
1 July 2016- The daughter of Dr. Abdul Jalil al-Singace, a prominent human rights activists in Bahrain, has not heard from him since last Friday 24 June 2016. Bahraini security forces have failed to provide Dr. al-Singace with his medications or adequately tend to his medical needs. Dr. al-Singace has been imprisoned in Jau prison since 2011 and has numerous health conditions. Dr. al-Singace suffers from post-polio syndrome, is disabled, and can only stand on one leg.
Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) received information from Dr. al-Singace’s daughter about his deteriorating health conditions. The last time the family saw Dr. al-Singace, they noticed he was very pale and his hands were yellow. Dr. al-Singace’s white cell count has been very unstable. His last blood test was over two weeks ago and his white blood cell count was 3700. His potassium levels were also high reaching 6.8. The family is very worried about his health as the prison authorities have deprived Dr. al-Singace of the rubber pads needed for his crutches, vitamins, and iron pills that were all prescribed by his doctor. Further, prison authorities have not provided him with his medical grips (joint holders) that the specialist had prescribed and stated as urgent. The request for all of these medical needs was made over one month ago.
“In the past few weeks, we’ve seen an upsurge in repression by the Bahraini authorities,” stated Executive Director of ADHRB, Husain Abdulla. “It’s extremely alarming that a prisoner of conscience that has been detained for so long continues to face ill-treatment. This news from the family is extremely distressing is extremely distressing as they’ve lost communication with him at a time when his health is extremely unstable.”
The family has not heard from him in a week. Currently in Jau prison, inmates are denied calls because they refuse to follow new restrictions the prison is trying to enforce on phone calls to families. Jau prison is notorious for torture and unsanitary conditions. A combination of poor quality prison facilities, overcrowding, systematic torture, and ill-treatment led to a riot in Jau Prison on 10 March 2015.
Dr. al-Singace has been the subject of three UN joint communications reports. In three reports, the Special Procedures noted Dr. al-Singace was subjected to ill-treatment and torture at the hands of Bahraini authorities. In 2011, authorities arrested, beat, and took Dr. al-Singace to the police station at gunpoint. He was moved to AlQurain military prison where authorities confined him to a 2m x 3m cell and subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including forced standing (Mr. Al-Singace is paralyzed and can only stand on one leg), verbal and sexual assault, beatings, and prolonged solitary confinement. He was tried in the National Safety Court in June 2011, where he was sentenced to life in prison for allegedly plotting to topple the government.
Dr. al-Singace is a member of the Bahrain 13, a group of thirteen peaceful political activists and human rights defenders sentenced to prison terms for their peaceful role in Bahrain’s Arab Spring protests in 2011.
ADHRB urges the Government of Bahrain to abide by international humanitarian law and provide Dr. Abduljalil al-Singace with the necessary medical care needed.
Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB)
1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 205
Washington, D.C. 20036
Tel: +1-(202)-621-6141, ext. 107 (office)
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