(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Sumaya Rajab, wife of human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, stated that she met Nabeel (4 September 2012) in Jaw Prison for the first time in three weeks.
Sumaya confirmed that Nabeel is subjected to degrading conditions and ill-treatment through repeated personal inspections, whereby they take off all his clothes during the inspection and leave him with only a small piece of fabric to cover his private areas. He said he was subjected to deliberately humiliating inspections.
With regards to being put in solitary confinement in August, Nabeel told Sumaya that he was taken to solitary on the day he was sentenced to three-years imprisonment, which seems to indicate a desire for revenge and punishment, and added that the atmosphere of the cell suggested to him that he would be exposed to "repeated meals of severe torture.”
She continued by saying that in his solitary cell, Nabeel was stripped of all his clothes, forced to wear a small piece of fabric ("a wrapper") only, then forced to stand and sit 40 times as part of the physical torture he suffered despite the fact that he suffers from a herniated disc in his back, and has requested a special medical belt to help cope with the recurrence of pain. He was also hit on the back by security forces several times previously.
Sumaya said that Nabeel does not know how many days he spent in that cell, because he could not tell day from night. Also, he said his cell was filled with dirt and even a dead cat!
As well, Sumaya confirmed that Nabeel doesn't eat the food he's given by the prison because he does not trust them, so he has lived for nearly two months on what is left of his corn flakes cereal and some canned food, as he's allowed to buy from the prison cafeteria only once a week. Also, he's allowed to only take 6 litres of water per week, although he suffers from kidney and gallbladder stones.
Sumaya said that for the first time in two months Nabeel ate cooked food today, as his family were able to give him a sandwich. He is prohibited from having sugar as well.
She continued saying that the prison administration refused to give Nabeel an electric shaver which she brought after Nabeel was refused shaving blades she brought the last time. As a result, he cannot shave and looks inappropriate, which she considers is one of the degrading actions committed against him.
She said that the prison administration forces Nabeel to wear very small flip flops, which he uses everywhere, even in court. And he's only allowed to have two pieces of clothing and two pairs of underwear. Sumaya confirmed that in spite of all this suffering, Nabeel's psychological state is very strong and that he always raises the victory sign.
But in other upsetting news, Sumaya said police denied them their right to meet Nabeel for the full duration of a prison visit, which is one hour, as they were permitted to stay only 25 minutes with him. They strongly objected and refused this abusive treatment, which led officers in charge to scream at them, insisting they leave.
According to Sumaya, the security officials justified this act by saying that it was late and that the police wanted to go home to their children now, which Sumaya considered a clear provocation intended to harass and pressure them. She said that Nabeel didn't see his own children in three weeks, not even for a day, and they are wasting their one hour visit causing a controversy.
Sumaya said that Nabeel is still isolated from the rest of the political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, languishing in a common cell with 3 or 4 criminal prisoners, and he's not allowed to see anyone who enters jail.
Sumaya confirmed that she sent a letter in the hands of her son Adam to the President of Jaw Prison Mohammed al-Husseini, demanding the transfer of Nabeel to the same area as other political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, as he's the only one isolated from them deliberately. But al-Husseini’s response was to derisively claim that this is the best treatment he can provide to Nabeel, and directed Sumaya to make any complaint to the Department of Legal Affairs.
Sumaya said that lawyers also met with the President of Jaw Prison for the same reason but he was stubborn and said, "Forget it." Sumaya confirmed that she herself had met Husseini previously for the same reason, where he claimed that this is not considered a prison isolation legally, because Nabeel is sentenced to 3 months only and can't be placed with the rest of sentenced prisoners.
However, Nabeel is now sentenced to 3 years in prison, but he's still isolated from other prisoners of conscience to this day, without any explanation.
We reiterate our call on the international community to put real pressure on the government of Bahrain to stop the acts of ill-treatment practiced on leading human rights defender and to release him immediately as we believe he has been targeted solely for his legitimate human rights activities.
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