Dissidents walk free as Bahrain pardons 457 prisoners

Bahrain has pardoned hundreds of inmates, the second major amnesty in months, as the Gulf state moves to ease lingering tensions from its crushing of Arab Spring pro-democracy protests.

Scores of prisoners were released from a notorious Bahrain jail on Thursday following a royal pardon issued late Wednesday concerning 457 inmates, according to activists.

They included dissidents detained following a crackdown on Shiite-led protests from 2011, the Britain-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) said.

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's royal amnesty was aimed at fostering "social cohesion" and to celebrate his 25 years on the throne, the official Bahrain News Agency said late on Wednesday.

The move came five months after a pardon of more than 1,500 inmates -- the biggest in years.

Bahrain denies holding political prisoners, although scores of dissidents have been detained since the 2011 protests were put down by the authorities, backed by a Saudi military force.

BNA did not specify who was pardoned but BIRD said "an estimated 100 political prisoners" were included in the pardon.

Those suffering from serious medical conditions and those who were serving life sentences were among those to be freed, it added.

BIRD's advocacy director Sayed Alwadaei called the pardon "a significant step forward".

He said among those released on Thursday was Bahraini dissident Ali Sanqoor, detained more than a decade ago after he was pictured standing topless, arms outstretched, facing oncoming tanks in 2011.

Also released was Mohamed Al-Ramal, a 64-year-old Bahraini "political prisoner" who was serving a life sentence in Jau Prison, BIRD said. He had spinal surgery in August and has been unable to walk since, it added.

- 'Mothers are waiting' -

Human Rights Watch welcomed the releases as "a significant move" but stressed that more was needed.

"Several political leaders and human rights defenders remain wrongfully detained. It's far past due time for them to be released as well," said HRW researcher Niku Jafarnia.

Families of the freed inmates were contacted by authorities to inform them of the releases -- but even those who didn't receive a call made their way to the prison hoping their loved ones would also walk free.

"We went to Jau to check if my son's name was on the list," said one mother, who waited in vain for two hours outside the facility which was surrounded by checkpoints and a heavy police deployment.

"Many mothers are waiting. Ever since the pardon was issued we have not slept a wink, waiting for a call or some news," she told AFP on the condition of anonymity fearing reprisal.

Fatima Abdulhasan, whose 39-year-old son has been held in Jau since 2011 and was sentenced to life in prison, was also left waiting.

"Since yesterday, I have not closed my eyes to sleep," she told AFP. "Why is it that some people are allowed joy while our hearts continue to be shattered?"

"I am in pain. Since last night until now, there are tears on my cheeks," she added.

The latest pardon came weeks after three independent UN rights experts called on the Bahraini authorities to guarantee the rights of inmates after allegations of punitive conditions in Jau, in an August report.

The experts said they had received "worrying allegations" that inmates there had been refused medical attention as well as regular access to food and drinking water. The Bahrain government denied the accusations.

Last year, hundreds of inmates staged a 36-day hunger strike to protest jail conditions, according to activists. Bahraini authorities said the number of hunger strikers was much smaller.

Bahrain is a key regional ally of the United States and is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.

The latest pardon comes as Bahrain's Sunni monarchy works to improve ties with Shiite cleric-led Iran.

Source: AFP