According to recent investigations, Bahraini officials have tortured at least 607 children while they were detained during the last decade.
The investigation’s claims were based on leaked judicial papers as well as statements from children who said they were threatened and physically abused during interrogations. According to papers obtained from the Bahraini public prosecution, these interrogations were frequently conducted without the presence of the children’s parents or lawyers.
On condition of anonymity, sources in the prosecution’s office informed that more than 150 children are presently detained in Bahraini prisons.
After initially denying any wrongdoing, a handful of statements made by children were amended to accept allegations leveled against them, corroborating claims of being verbally and physically assaulted by officials in order to force confessions.
A young man who has been confined inside a prison facility since he was 16 years old complained about solitary confinement in a recorded statement. Those placed in solitary are frequently chained to beds or have both wrists and feet cuffed, according to the person.
“They often cannot shower or change their clothes,” the detainee said in the recording.
Between 2011 and 2021, at least 193 children were sentenced to prison, according to the program. According to the findings, some people were sentenced to death.
Bahrain’s interior ministry responded to the allegations stating that there are no children imprisoned in Bahrain. However, it stated that some detainees aged 15 to 18 are being held in a special correctional facility. The ministry also noted in a statement that the children serving sentences had been convicted in criminal and “terror” offenses and had fair trials.
