Independent Ombudsman Office receives inmates’ families, investigates their allegations

Manama, Nov. 23 (BNA): The Independent Ombudsman Office has confirmed that it practises its legal and official duties with regard to complaints and assistance requests received regarding categories of inmates at the Custody Detention Centre (Dry Dock), according to a professional work based on objectivity, impartiality and commitment to the laws related under investigation. In a statement, the Office of the Ombudsman, underlined its keenness to inform the public about the results of its investigations, with regard to allegations that may affect their confidence, including some allegations that are sometimes raised about inmates being subjected to various types of abusive treatment or the alleged intentional deprivation of their legal and living rights in Reform and Rehabilitation Centres. Based on its terms of reference and in order to fulfill the truth and clarify the facts of the matter, the Independent Ombudsman Office clarified the following: • The Independent Ombudsman Office follows up the allegations published on websites and social media regarding the categories of inmates and detainees, including recent allegations about a group of inmates in their buildings in the Custody Detention Centre (Dry Dock). The Independent Ombudsman Office had previously visited the aforementioned centre on November 1, 2021, and found that these inmates were present in the centre according to judicial dictions issued before the Justice Law, and that they were able to obtain their legal rights and appropriate living and health care. • On Sunday, November 21, 2021, the Independent Ombudsman Office received a number of mothers of inmates in Custody Detention Centre (Dry Dock). They were interviewed by The Independent Ombudsman Office’s investigators and their testimonies were heard. Moreover, they filled their requests in writing through the complaints forms prepared for this. These mothers mentioned that inmates were on a hunger strike until their requests were responded to. After that, more inmates’ families began to approach the headquarter of the Independent Ombudsman Office, and due to its commitment to the precautionary measures applied to combat the spread of the Coronavirus, the Independent Ombudsman Office investigators asked them to use other means to submit their requests, including the WhatsApp application. Accordingly, the Independent Ombudsman Office immediately investigated the allegations that had been received, whether in person or via WhatsApp application. • On the same day, the Independent Ombudsman Office team visited the Custody Detention Centre (Dry Dock) to investigate the allegations. The team collected information, inspected the centre, interviewed a group of these inmates, including those whose families submitted requests, and met the centre’s administration. They found that they had several demands that included increasing the time allocated for them to go out of their cells together to the yards, keeping the cell doors open 24 hours, freedom of movement between the cells in the wards around the clock, and moving from one floor to the next inside the building without complying with the regulatory periods and changing the guard ward policemen who are in one of the buildings with other policemen. The centre’s administration indicated that all of these requests are against the law, and that response to such requests will lead to the spread of a form of unfair treatment to the other inmates who are committed to the law and the regulations of the place, and they are the majority. • The Centre’s administration also stated that dealing with inmates is governed by rules and regulations determined by the legal reference represented in the Reform and Rehabilitation Institutions Law No. (18) of 2014, and its executive regulations issued by Edict No. (131) of 2015, in addition to the Law of Restorative Justice for Children and their Protection from Abuse, which is Law No. 4 of 2021. With regard to the issue of inmates going out to the outdoor yards to play sports, it was governed by Article (43) of the Executive Regulations of the Law of the Correction and Rehabilitation Institution, which stipulated that the period of allowing inmates to practise sports activities does not exceed two hours a day, and the administration confirmed that all the inmates are allowed to leave within the period specified by the regulations and that no inmate is deprived of going out. Concerning the requests to open cell doors and freedom to roam inside the wards around the clock, it was confirmed that this violates the administrative procedures stipulated in Articles (13) and (14) of the regulation, and those who regulate the issue of criteria for separating the categories of inmates and according to their behaviour, and allowing these two requests poses a danger to the inmates themselves and the staff of the place and increases the chances of occurrence of acts of violation of the law, rebellion and cases of bullying among inmates, with the possibility of inmates being mixed with other groups of different age or type of crimes, which in turn may pose a physical danger to them. • Regarding the case of a number of inmates who announced their hunger strike until these demands are met, the centre's administration reported that it deals with cases of strike according to the organisational procedures approved in this regard and according to specific stages, including advising such inmates on the importance of abandoning the strike and not continuing it and directing them to benefit from legal and administrative means and tools to submit their requests or complaints to the competent authorities, including the national remedy institutions. It also confirmed that it continues to provide meals to these inmates at their regular times and not stop them, in addition to providing the medical care required in these cases, which includes following on them on a daily basis, through conducting examinations, periodic vital measurements and medical treatment of any effects of this strike, including the transfer of striking inmates to external health centres if the situation so requires. • The Independent Ombudsman Office investigations concluded that the administrative and organisational procedures followed in the Custody Detention Centre (Dry Dock) and applied to all inmates, aim to ensure their safety and health. They also aim to provide preventive health and security conditions through the application of safety standards, warding off risks and not allowing inmates to mix with each other in large numbers, while not depriving them of their officially stipulated rights. They are also provided with living care, meals and personal hygiene supplies according to the guarantees stipulated in the law and its regulations. They are also allowed to shop through the store located in the place, in addition to their rights to go out to the outdoor yards, make calls and receive visits, whether in person or via video call, in addition to other rights and guarantees as approved by the Law of The Reform and Rehabilitation Centre and its executive regulations. The Independent Ombudsman Office also concluded that the issue of the hunger strike is a voluntary option for any inmate, with the preference not to do it and to refer to the institutional means at the competent authority to consider their assistance requests as long as they do not violate the law and the organisational and administrative procedures applicable to all inmates, without exception. • The Independent Ombudsman Office has communicated with the families who submitted requests regarding their relatives of inmates at the Custody Detention Centre (Dry Dock), and informed them of the results of its investigations into those requests as mentioned in this statement.