BHRWS calls on prison authorities to reveal status Titus Filio Contributor
A human rights group has appealed to the Public Prosecutor and prison authorities to reveal the health conditions of inmates in detention centres after one detainee was found to be suffering from tuberculosis earlier this month. Relatives of some kept at the Hidd detention centre alleged that many inmates’ health was at risk because of non-enforcement of hygiene regulations. “We called on the Public Prosecutor to intervene and protect the detainees. They must make public contagious diseases, especially TB, so that these can be checked,” Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society coordinator Faisal Fulad said. “The Public Prosecutor should provide a comprehensive report on the illnesses at the detention centre and their causes,” Fulad said. “We also appeal for a fair trial of detainees.” Some relatives had earlier claimed that their loved ones were kept together with the TB patients in cells. The prison authorities have not commented yet. But earlier this month, a Filipino detainee was moved out of the centre after he was found to have TB. Sources at a government hospital said he was admitted to a special isolation ward for TB patients. Referring to the case of two inmates detained in connection with a graft case, Fulad said there should be an independent probe into allegations by relatives that their loved ones were subjected to “harsh interrogation.” The society has been pushing for transparency in the trial of detainees, including those arrested in connection with demonstrations. Human rights advocates have asked prison authorities to extend visitation hours for relatives.
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