At a time several countries have made decisions releasing prisoners due to fear of Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in prisons, the authorities in Bahrain are being very strict and stubborn in not releasing political prisoners.

Bahrainis voiced an urgent appeal via Twitter demanding the authorities in Manama to release political prisoners to save them from the risk of contracting the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Amid the global threat posed by COVID-19, Bahraini authorities should release human rights defenders, opposition activists, journalists and all others imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association, a coalition of 21 rights groups said.

A number of Shiite religious scholars in Bahrain issued a statement stressing on the "necessity to release prisoners of conscience in Bahrain before this virus invades the prison." They warned of the consequences of the authorities' disregard for the call launched by Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim to release political prisoners.

December 12, 2019 was the globally adopted date marking the discovery of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), which since has exhausted the world with its fast spreading and painful economic and humanitarian effects.

The Parliament will soon discuss a draft bill proposed by the government on the Youth Criminal Justice Act. One of the most prominent articles mentioned in the draft states that if the offence is punishable by death, it is reduced to temporary imprisonment or at least one-year prison term.

Al-Wefaq Deputy Secretary-General, Sheikh Hussein Al-Daihi, stressed on the importance of the call launched by Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim to release the political prisoners, in order to protect their souls in the light of the Coronavirus outbreak.

A group of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Jaw Central prison issued a statement expressing their support for the statement issued by Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim on Thursday (April 2, 2020) and appealed to the international community.

Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) called on the Bahraini authorities to immediately release prisoner Sadiq Marhoon (31 years), who suffers from psychological outbreaks after spending 11 years in prison, and to provide medical care for prisoners.

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) published on its website the data it gathered about Bahrain's events from 2016 to 2020.

Emirati prison authorities should consider the conditional and appropriate release of prisoners living with HIV who have been denied regular access to lifesaving medication as the number of COVID-19 cases in the UAE increases, Human Rights Watch said today.

Bahrain Center for Human Rights said that the authorities released 260 political prisoners within the royal decree that pardoned1490 prisoners "for humanitarian reasons amid the current circumstances".

“I want them to return my son as healthy as they took him,” said the mother of cancer victim Sayed Kadhem Abbas Al-Sehlawi (23) when he was released in 2018, after his health condition sharply deteriorated.

This is what Bahrain has come to. Searching Bahrain's ancient history and presenting a narrative not accepted by the authorities has become a crime punishable by law. The Public Prosecution ordered the arrest of Bahraini historian Jassim Al-Abbas detaining him for 7 days pending investigation over the charge of publishing false information about a historical incident. Al-Abbas was taken into custody after he was summoned for interrogation on January 30, 2020.

The campaign entitled #Sick_Prisoners_in_Bahrain prompted families in the island kingdom to speak out about the sufferings of their ailing sons behind bars. The campaign revealed the large amount of ignored cases of poor health conditions that are increasing in terms of number and severity among political prisoners. Families tweeted with pain, concern and cries for help.

Elias Al-Mulla, a Bahraini youth, was released today at dawn on Wednesday (January 22, 2020). He entered prison at the age of 21 and was released at 28. When taken into custody, Al-Mulla was in good physical health, but he now suffers from cancer.

The security authorities released today (Wednesday, January 22, 2020) at dawn multiple sclerosis patient detainee, Mohammad Faraj, after spending more than 5 years in prison.

The security authorities released today (Wednesday, January 22, 2020) detainee, Hussein Abdulaziz Al-Marri, who is sentenced to 5 years in jail in a political motivated case.

The Bahraini security authorities released today (Wednesday, January 22, 2020) cancer patient detainee Elias Al-Mulla after spending 8 years in prison over a political motivated charge.

On July 17, 2017, King Hamad ratified the alternative penalty law which allows the public prosecution or a judge to replace pretrial detention with commuted punishments.