Bahrain's Ruler Pardons 457 Inmates for 25th Anniversary, Political Prisoners Included

Bahrain's king pardoned 457 prisoners on Wednesday night to commemorate his 25th anniversary as the ruler of the island nation. An activist noted that many of those released appeared to be political prisoners. The state-run Bahrain News Agency announced this mass release, which is another in a series of such actions in the Persian Gulf kingdom following its 2011 Arab Spring protests.

There was no list of names for the prisoners released by the order of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who has ruled Bahrain first as its emir in 1999 before Bahrain became a kingdom in 2002. Bahrain's government did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Political Prisoners Released

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, director of advocacy for the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, described many of those freed as political prisoners from the Jaw Rehabilitation and Reform Center. This prison has witnessed demonstrations and hunger strikes by inmates over conditions there. "Authorities have been meeting with ... hundreds, saying to them they would be released very soon," Alwadaei said. "It seems to be targeting mostly political prisoners."

He added: "This is a really optimistic step and it does seem to be also coming within a regional context where Bahrain is trying to normalise with Iran." Addressing activists' complaints could help Bahrain ease tensions with Iran despite decades of enmity, particularly after Saudi Arabia reached a Chinese-mediated detente with Tehran last year.

Historical Context

Bahrain's Shiite majority has long complained about mistreatment and abuse from the government overseen by the ruling Sunni Al Khalifa family. In April, King Hamad pardoned 1,584 prisoners — including over 650 considered to be political prisoners by the institute.

Prominent Bahraini activists being held include Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a dual Danish-Bahraini national convicted of internationally criticised terrorism charges and held in what a United Nations panel calls an "arbitrary" imprisonment ever since.

International Relations

Bahrain, home to the US Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet, is an island off the coast of Saudi Arabia that's about the size of New York City with a population of around 1.5 million people. Since Bahrain put down the 2011 protests with the help of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, it has imprisoned activists, deported others, stripped hundreds of their citizenship and closed its leading independent newspaper.

Meanwhile, Bahrain has recognised Israel diplomatically and hosted Pope Francis in November 2022.

The recent release of prisoners marks another significant event in Bahrain's ongoing efforts to address internal dissent and improve regional relations. The move could signal a shift towards more conciliatory policies in dealing with political opposition.