Hassan Mushaima and political prisoners detained in Bahrain

Early day motion 284, tabled 5 July 2021 by Andrew Slaughter (Labour). Signed by 44 members.

That this House is deeply concerned by the decade-long detention of 73-year-old Hassan Mushaima in Bahrain who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his peaceful role as a political opposition leader in 2011; decries that Mushaima was brutally tortured, subjected to protracted medical negligence and that his condition continues to severely deteriorate; profoundly regrets that since April 2021 two political prisoners and Jau Prison inmates, Husain Barakat and Abbas Malallah, died at Jau Prison; emphasises that Jau Prison authorities’ failure to prevent covid-19 outbreaks amongst inmates puts the lives of vulnerable prisoners like Mushaima at serious risk; notes that the European Parliament recently called for the release of Mushaima and others; is concerned that the UK Ambassador to Bahrain recently praised Jau Prison as a well-run facility with good medical provision despite the UN, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy expressing concern at authorities persistent failure to provide adequate medical care in Bahrain’s prisons; unreservedly condemns Bahraini authorities’ perpetration of systematic medical negligence against vulnerable prisoners; further condemns false assurances provided to this House by the UK Government regarding the provision of medical care to political prisoners in Bahrain; and calls on the Government to use all available leverage to press Bahrain for the immediate and unconditional release of all Bahraini political prisoners detained solely for peacefully exercising their right to free expression, association and assembly, with particular reference to political leaders with heightened vulnerability to novid-19, namely Hassan Mushaima, Abduljalil Al-Singace and Abdulwahab Husain.

Signatures by party: Labour 15, Scottish National Party 11, Liberal Democrat 7, Independent 3, Plaid Cymru 3, Alba 2, Conservative 1, Green 1, Labour/Co-operative 1.