Bahraini prisoners allege brutal crackdown in response to Covid protest

Authorities deny reports that inmates were beaten after a 10-day sit-in over concerns about virus spread and lack of medical care

In early April, inmates at Bahrain's Jau prison crowded into the corridors to protest. They were angry about a lack of medical treatment and fearing for their lives after the death of another inmate. Their sit-in at building 13 lasted 10 days, and spread to other blocks in Jau, an infamous prison complex in the south of the kingdom.

Inmates claim authorities regularly delay or deny vital medical care to prisoners - especially prisoners of conscience. The concern has grown since late March when Covid-19 began to tear through the prison system. Prisoners and rights groups claim authorities failed to prevent the outbreak and have denied some inmates their choice of vaccine.