DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – The daughters of a prominent human rights defender imprisoned in Bahrain resume their hunger strike Wednesday after the country was denied medical treatment and the country’s crown prince visited the United States. It was announced that.
Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a dual citizen of Denmark and Bahraini, was imprisoned after taking part in the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings on the small island nation in the Persian Gulf. He was later convicted of terrorism charges in an incident that was criticized internationally. His supporters claim the 62-year-old has been tortured and that his health is poor.
Zainab Al Khawaja posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) in which she said she resumed her hunger strike after her father was refused treatment for glaucoma, which can lead to blindness Ta. They say he also has a potentially fatal heart condition.
Bahrain’s prison authorities denied that al-Khawaja was denied medical treatment and said his health condition was “stable with no serious concerns”.
All detainees in Bahrain receive the same level of medical care as the general public, and their health conditions are supervised by government hospitals, authorities said in a statement.
Al Khawaja is one of hundreds of prisoners at the Jaw Rehabilitation and Reform Center who began a hunger strike on August 7 to protest prison conditions. The facility houses several prisoners identified by human rights groups as dissidents opposed to the rule of the al-Khalifa family.
prisoners called off the strike on Tuesday, after authorities announced they would improve medical care at the prison. Authorities also agreed to limit quarantines, expand visitor rights and extend sun exposure, even though the government has downplayed strikes over the past month.
Al Khawaja’s other daughter Mariam, who shared the video, said: I’m going to risk getting arrested myself. She traveled to Bahrain this week with other human rights activists to call for her father’s release.
In Washington, Bahrain’s Prime Minister, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and signed a security agreement to strengthen cooperation in defense, technology, trade and other areas.
Late Wednesday, the president spoke with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Bahrain’s security and expressed his commitment to Bahrain’s partnership with the crown prince, according to a White House statement. He expressed his gratitude.
Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, saw large-scale protests against the Sunni monarchy in 2011 with support from the Shiite majority. Authorities violently suppressed the demonstrations with support from neighboring Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two other U.S. allies.