AFP – Scores of prisoners were released from a notorious Bahrain prison yesterday following a royal pardon of more than 450 inmates, including activists detained during protests more than a decade ago.
Videos shared on social media showed tearful reunions in a courtyard outside Jau prison where black-clad women waited to spot their sons and husbands among those freed.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a royal decree pardoning 457 inmates to foster “social cohesion” and celebrate his 25 years on the throne, the official Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said late on Wednesday.
The move came five months after a pardon of more than 1,500 inmates – the biggest in years.
BNA did not specify who is covered by Wednesday’s pardon but the Britain-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) said political prisoners were included in the latest releases, which started on yesterday.
BIRD’s advocacy director, Sayed Alwadaei said around 100 inmates have been released so far, calling the pardon “a significant step forward”.
Those freed include Ali Sanqoor, a Bahraini dissident who was pictured more than a decade ago standing topless on the road, facing incoming tanks, Alwadaei said.
The latest pardon came weeks after three independent United Nations rights experts called on the Bahraini authorities to guarantee the rights of inmates after allegations of punitive conditions in Jau.
