Bahrain’s hunger strike escalates, Death sentence to Saudi tweeter
Bahrain’s public prosecutor ordered the detention of a minor for 60 days ‘pending an investigation’ into undisclosed offenses. Muhammad Hassan Radhi Al-Qassab was arrested last Monday for the second time in less than three months. He spent several weeks in detention earlier this summer. Since his arrest last week there has been no news about him. His family fears the worst as he is likely to be undergoing torture sessions at secret locations away from the normal police stations.
The Jau Prison hunger strike has entered its fourth week, with 804 prisoners now confirmed to be on strike against harsh prison conditions, making it the biggest strike in Bahrain’s prison history. The strike has continued to gain momentum, with the total number of participants doubling since the start of the protest. The khalifi regime has failed to respond positively to the demands of the hunger strikers. Apart from a statement by the khalifi ministry of the interior suggesting that the daily time outside the cells for the prisoners may be increased to two hours, other demands including proper medical treatment and family visits have not been addressed. The hunger strikers who are now in excess of 800 have rejected the regime’s deceptive move and insisted that they would continue their hunger strike that has embarrassed the dictator and his backers in Washington and London.
There are deep fears that as the hunger strike continues, prisoners are gradually becoming weaker and some of them are collapsing. Abbas Abd Ali was transferred to the hospital when his condition deteriorated. Another political prisoner, Ahmed Hassan Jaffar collapsed but was not transferred to hospital. Instead he was taken to the counter of the prison officers and left for five hours. He was not even given water. Political prisoner, Ali Sangoor said that he was joining the hunger strike despite his ill-health. He said the demands are legitimate and deserve support.
It is feared that political detainee Mohamed Al-Daqqaq could ‘die at any moment’, according to his family. They said that the sick prisoner suffered a sharp drop in heart rate after more than 21 days on hunger strike. Al-Daqqaq had already been diagnosed with a number of serious illnesses.
On Saturday 26 August, 79 Bahraini nationals sent an appeal to Bahrain’s Crown Prince expressing support for the demands of the political prisoners on hunger strike in Jau Prison, adding that “[they] believe that genuine reform necessitates the resolution of the issue of political detention by releasing those involved in peaceful activities advocating democratic change”.
Various groups have staged hunger strikes in support of the prisoners. Mothers of several detainees are going on hunger strike in solidarity with their sons. Scores of supporters around the world went on hunger strike yesterday. In London hunger strikers spent the day outside the Bahrain Embassy.
Last week, on 24 August, 16 rights groups sent a letter to EU representatives regarding the hunger strike and highlighting the cases of human rights defenders Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and Abduljalil Al-Singace. This followed joint letters sent to UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and a letter sent to the Biden administration raising urgent concern for the life of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja.
Last week an international signed by several NGOs called for the release of Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja. It said: We call on the Bahraini Government ot immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. It urged people to sign the appeal.
Saudi Arabia has sentenced to death a government critic who denounced corruption and human rights abuses on social media, his brother and others familiar with the case told AFP on Monday. The judgement was handed down against Mohammed al-Ghamdi in July by the Specialized Criminal Court, a secretive institution established in 2008 to try terrorism cases that has a history of unfair trials resulting in death sentences. The charges against al-Ghamdi include conspiracy against the Saudi leadership, undermining state institutions and supporting terrorist ideology, sources briefed on the details of the case told AFP.
After having been sentenced to seven years in prison in January 2018, four years ago, the Saudi authorities issued a further five-year prison sentence to cleric Mohammed al-Habib on charges linked to his defence of the rights of Saudi Arabia’s Shi’a community. The Sheikh as been behind bars since July 2016 for his religious identity, religious leadership role, and criticism of state-sponsored religious discrimination.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
30th August 2023
