Human rights: small show of humanity to prisoner after Pope Francis’s visit
For the first time in years, the family of Shia activist Mohammed Ramadhan was allowed physical contact with him during a visit. Sentenced to death based on a confession allegedly extracted through torture, his case was among those raised during the pontiff's trip. His wife remains concerned about his health.
Manama (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Mohammed Ramadhan was allowed physical contact with his wife Zainab and their children during this week's prison visit.
The Bahraini Shia activist has been on death row since 2014 for a murder conviction based on a confession that was allegedly extracted through torture.
This small gesture comes after the issue of human rights was highlighted during the recent papal visit to the Gulf country.
For the first time in years, Mohammed met his family without the glass barrier that usually separates them. This surprised his wife, Zainab; however, she is still concerned about his health as she believes he is not getting adequate medical care.
Mohammed Ramadhan’s family was among those who had appealed to Pope Francis during the pontiff's visit to the country – they had asked him to speak out on the death penalty and the rights of political prisoners.
During the pope's visit, relatives of prisoners sentenced to death row gathered holding signs as the pontiff's motorcade travelled to a school in Isa Town.
In his first speech of his four-day trip, Francis addressed the authorities, expressly citing the question of human and prisoners’ rights.
For years, international human rights groups have slammed Bahrain for detaining people exercising their right to freedom of expression and for marginalising political opposition.
In particular, discriminatory and retroactive special laws adopted in 2018 have come in for harsh criticism, as their intention is to stifle what little autonomy local civil society groups had.
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16/09/2021 12:19
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