Bahrain political prisoner Husain Barakat dies of COVID-19

Husain Barakat, 48, died after contracting the virus in Jau prison, the site of a months-long coronavirus outbreak.

A political prisoner serving a life sentence in Bahrain has died after contracting COVID-19, the interior ministry and activists said on Wednesday, as the Gulf state fights a surge in infections. Bahrain has come under pressure from human rights organisations over prison conditions including overcrowding, poor sanitation and lack of medical care. Since the March outbreak of the disease in Bahrain’s main prison Jau, families have been holding small protests demanding the release of political prisoners and better conditions. There was a violent confrontation between guards and prisoners in April after prisoners protested against conditions.