Following an invitation from the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Bahrain, nine Bahraini Ambassadors to several countries visited the Open Prisons Complex, accompanied by the Director-General of Legal Affairs and Human Rights, as well as the Chief of Human Rights Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Upon arrival, the Ambassadors were welcomed by the Director-General of Verdict Enforcement and Alternative Sentencing, Shaikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Khalifa, who lauded the ongoing cooperation and coordination between the ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs to serve the Kingdom.
Shaikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Khalifa asserted that thanks to the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Alternative Sentencing Project and the Open Prisons Programme have led to distinguished achievements and brought about a quantum leap in the kingdom’s criminal justice system, adding a new milestone to its bright human rights record, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.
He paid tribute to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for HRH’s keenness to complete these civilised projects of a human rights nature, expressing pride in the follow-up and instructions of the Minister of Interior to implement the Open Prisons Programme in accordance with international standards, which would consolidate justice and human rights, as well as protect the social fabric.
The Director-General of Verdict Enforcement and Alternative Sentencing reviewed the goals of the Alternative Sentencing Project and the Open Prisons Programme, citing their outstanding success in providing educational and training programmes and plans capable of rehabilitating inmates and correcting their behaviour in a way that contributes to their gradual integration into society.
The Ambassadors then toured the Open Prison Complex, where they were briefed on the housing units it contains to provide the necessary services and living needs, in addition to the other well-equipped buildings for sports, education and training.
They also collected first-hand information about the programmes provided to the beneficiaries to develop and refine their skills and abilities ahead of their integration into society and their subsequent involvement in the labour market.
The Ambassadors expressed their pride in the Kingdom’s advanced human rights achievements, extending thanks and appreciation to the Interior Minister for the efforts being made to implement and develop reformation programmes, whose positive effects contribute to preparing the beneficiaries to re-integrate society.
The delegation included the following Heads of Bahrain’s diplomatic missions abroad:
- Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Bahraini Ambassador to the US
- Abdulla Abdullatif Abdulla, Bahraini Ambassador to Germany
- Abdula Faisal Al Doseri, Bahraini Ambassador to Belgium
- Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Bahraini Ambassador to the UAE
- Essam Abdulaziz Al Jassim, Bahrain's Ambassador to France
- Osama Abdulla Al Absi, Bahrain's Ambassador to Italy
- Dr. Waleed Khalifa Al Manea, Bahrain's Ambassador to Malaysia
- Bassam Ahmed Marzouk, Bahrain's Ambassador to Türkiye
Khalid Yousif Al Jalahma, Bahraini Ambassador to Israel