Bahrain: Coronavirus

(asked on 18th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Bahraini counterpart on ensuring that prisoners in that country can access (a) external hospital appointments and (b) other healthcare during the covid-19 pandemic.


Answered by
James Cleverly Portrait
James Cleverly
Home Secretary
This question was answered on 2nd June 2020

The Government of Bahrain has been clear in public statements that access to appropriate medical care for those in detention is guaranteed by the Constitution of Bahrain. Bahrain has stated publicly that any prisoner wishing to see a doctor is taken to the prison clinic, with referral to specialist facilities where required. We have also been given categorical assurances privately. As part of the COVID-19 precautions, all medical consultations take place via a video call, ensuring the safety of the patient and the medical staff. We welcome these assurances from the Government of Bahrain and urge continued transparency.

We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to raise them with the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body. We continue to encourage the oversight bodies in Bahrain to carry out thorough and swift investigations into any such claims.

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