Bahraini Security Forces Attack Protesting Prisoners, 40 Injured

Local Editor

At least 40 Bahraini prisoners were hurt on Friday when security forces used batons, tear gas, pepper spray and stun grenades against inmates protesting over their conditions.

The Interior Ministry claimed security forces had restored order after a number of detainees rioted.
"They tried to break the doors, the police interfered and restored order," a tweet by the ministry said.

Sayyed al-Muhafada of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said he had received a call from inside the prison telling him that around 100 prisoners, most held for terrorism offenses, were protesting over being deprived of family visits and other grievances.
"The reasons behind today's attack against the detainees in Dry Dock prison are yet unknown," wrote the main opposition party al-Wefaq National Islamic Society on its Twitter account.

The inmates are reported to be political prisoners.

"They humiliated, tortured and abused political detainees by cursing, severely beating with batons, using pepper sprays and threatening them," BCHR said.
"Some of the prisoners defended themselves [which] resulted in the security forces using more violence. The BCHR received confirmed information from sources that the prison guards and security forces used stun grenades and tear gas inside closed cells that resulted in at least 40 injuries."

Some reports, however, suggest that the clashes erupted when prison guards began a sudden search of the prison cells.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team