Bahrain's jailed dissidents urge Pope to raise issue of crackdown, repression during visit

Families of jailed dissidents in Bahrain have appealed to Pope Francis to speak out against human rights abuses perpetrated by the ruling Al-Khalifa regime during his upcoming trip to the tiny Persian Gulf country.

The appeal was made in a letter written by the families of 12 prisoners sitting on death row, and released by the London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) on Monday.

"Our family members remain behind bars and at risk of execution despite the clear injustice of their convictions. Many of them were targeted because they took part in pro-democracy protests during the 'Arab Spring'," read the letter.

"During your visit to Bahrain, we hope you can repeat your call to abolish the death penalty and for the sentences of our family members to be commuted."

The call came as the Pope is scheduled to head to the country on Thursday to attend the closing ceremony of "Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence" and to meet members of the Catholic community.

The four-day trip will also see the head of Catholic Church meeting with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah.

According to BIRD, Ali Al-Hajee, a "prisoner of conscience" who is close to completing a 10-year sentence which he said was connected to his participation in a pro-democracy protest, also wrote a letter to the pope.

"I invite you, in the name of humanity, to urge the King of Bahrain to abide by peace and to release me and all Bahraini political prisoners," his letter read.

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It comes a week after a group of incarcerated Bahraini Shia Muslim clerics urged Pope Francis to condemn the injustice and repressive policies of the ruling Al Khalifah regime and push for reforms in the Persian Gulf kingdom ahead of his visit early next month.

In a statement, the scholars said in Bahrain "the motto of tolerance and coexistence is raised for everyone except for its own people," reminding Pope Francis that he is visiting a country "where justice and charity are widely prescribed; but injustice and aggression are practiced in reality.”

“The Bahraini nation constitutes people who have either lost their sons or loved ones, grief-stricken mothers as well as injured, imprisoned, persecuted, and exiled political opponents. International human rights organizations have recorded a long list of violations against Bahraini people,” the statement read.

Demonstrations have been held in Bahrain on a regular basis since the popular uprising began in the Arab country in mid-February 2011.

People demand that the Al Khalifah regime relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.

Manama, however, has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any form of dissent.

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