Silent Cruelty: Detained Bahraini Opposition Figure Faces Torturous Neglect Amidst Deadly Illness
Watan-In a serious and alarming violation of human rights, prominent Bahraini opposition figure Hasan Mushaima suffered severe damage to both of his kidneys. However, the authorities have not provided him with further details or appropriate treatment, according to his family and 16 human rights organizations.
In a joint statement, the organizations called on the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to immediately release Mushaima in light of the serious threat to his health.
The statement said: ‘We urge you with all respect to ensure his immediate and unconditional release, and to ensure that he receives proper medical care and access to his medical records.’
Hasan Mushaima, 75 years old, is one of the founding members of the dissolved opposition party Al-Wefaq, and has been in detention since 2011. He was convicted in a mass trial and is serving a life sentence for leading protests against the government.
Suffering from chronic medical conditions
Human rights groups have stated during the years spent in prison that Mishaal, who suffers from several chronic medical conditions, has been repeatedly denied the necessary care despite being detained since July 2021 in a medical facility.
He had been awaiting a specialist doctor since March, to address the kidney problems he is facing. According to his family, on November 30, after conducting tests, the doctor indicated that Mishaal’s kidneys were severely damaged to the extent that he might need kidney dialysis soon.
However, when Mishaal requested more information, the doctor, who works in the Ministry of Health, informed him that he couldn’t share the information without obtaining permission from the Ministry of Interior, according to the family.
Concerns about a dire scenario
Ali Mshaima, the Bahraini activist residing in the United Kingdom and the son of Mshaima, said, “We know nothing about my father’s medical condition, and we are forced to fear the worst.”
He added, “Thinking that he, in his seventies, will have to spend the rest of his life on kidney dialysis while in prison is a nightmare.”
Mshaima was admitted to the medical facility due to several health issues, including diabetes and fluctuating blood pressure.
According to Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Advocacy Director at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), based in the United Kingdom, in September 2021, Mshaima was offered an alternative sentence where he would serve his punishment under house arrest.
Alwadaei told Middle East Eye, “He rejected this offer… He thought that accepting it meant admitting guilt and he refused.”
During his time in the medical facility, it was reported that he remained in complete isolation except for family visits and was deprived of access to sunlight, in a scene worse than solitary confinement.
Slow torture
Alwadaei stated that the lack of access to his medical information and uncertainty about whether he will need kidney dialysis constitute a form of torture.
He added, “We hope that all of this is a mistake, but this is the torture that families, and he himself, must go through – the uncertainty of his fate.”
Alwadaei urged the United Kingdom government, which funded the training of institutions responsible for Mshaima’s imprisonment, to use its influence to call for his immediate and unconditional release.
Niko Javarnia, a researcher on Bahrain and Yemen affairs at Human Rights Watch, stated that authorities unjustly took 12 years of Mshaima’s life and that of his family.
He added, “They must release this elderly man immediately and allow him to manage his deteriorating health condition from the comfort of his home.”
