Human Rights institution visits rehabilitation centre; debunks allegations

Manama, July 25(BNA):The National Institution of Human Rights (NIHR) affirmed that all inmates who are at the Jau Rehabilitation Centre exercise their rights. A NIHR delegation which visited the rehabilitation centre concluded that inmates have not been subjected to any violations, maltreatment or deprivation of rights as per the regulations enforced there. The NIHR statement was in reaction to claims circulated on social media websites, as well as calls, alleging that “a number of inmates are on strike, refusing to contact their families because they have been deprived of their right to exercise religious rituals and denied medical treatment and hygiene materials”. The delegation checked the conditions of inmates to ensure that they enjoy their established rights and are not subjected to ill-treatment, in accordance with the United Nations Standards for the Treatment of Prisoners and the executive regulations governing correction and rehabilitation centers. It met inmates who expressed their satisfaction with the level of services and facilities provided by the center's administration to ensure their continued practice of religious rituals The delegation was briefed about previous documentation of inmates as they were practising rituals on the ground and in a manner that does not harm or exceed the freedom and privacy of other inmates of all religions and denominations and ensures the security and safety of all inmates are personnel at the centre. The delegation was told by the Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) consultant dermatologists that they examine the inmates continuously, and prescribe them the appropriate treatment according to each case. They added that there are no skin conditions such as scabies among inmates, reporting only cases of usual eczema and skin allergies. The inmates commended the precautionary measures to prevent the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the centre. NIHR reports confirm that around 920 inmates have been examined either by consultant doctors at the centre’s clinic or underwent medical check-ups using telemedicine applications over the past months. The rights Institution said that it would continue its field visits to reform and rehabilitation centers to ensure that everyone's rights are guaranteed in the health, cultural and religious areas, especially in the coming period to ensure that inmates practise religious rituals. It regretted the acts of some organisations and bodies that claim to be committed to defending human rights, by publishing misleading unsubstantiated media statements which are in themselves a violation of human rights, nor are they based on any evidence, thus lacking objectivity and credibility, deliberately aiming to spark concerns among the inmates' families. The NIHR statement urged commitment to the noble values and principles of human rights, to apply the standards and controls set by the United Nations as a framework in accordance with the community partnership system, stressing the need to obtain information from reliable sources, and to adhere to the principles that are appropriate for human rights work.