Al-Khawaja Ends his Hunger Strike after Authorities Respond to his Demands

2021-11-19 - 12:56 ص

Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Bahraini activist Zaynab Al-Khawaj announced via her Twitter account that her father "just called" and "told us he has ended his hunger strike".

Zaynab said "His blood sugar level had dropped to 2.4 this morning, which is dangerously low. After he refused IV again, the authorities relented and restored his call privileges, which they had unjustly withheld."

Al-Khawaja indicated that she was asked in an interview today if hunger strikes work and confirmed that they work if people care.

She thanked everyone who helped "by expressing solidarity and boosting our voices. Thank you for showing the Bahraini regime that people across the world do care."

"As my father (who is already sentenced to life in prison) told me that he was being threatened with more cases being brought against him in court for inciting hatred against the regime, they cut the line," Al-Khawaja stated.

She stressed that "It is infuriating that my father and others have to starve themselves and put their lives on the line just to have access to their most basic rights. Also infuriating that when he is allowed to speak to us, he is censored to the extent where he can't tell us what is happening inside."

"We are waiting to see if my dad will in fact get his upcoming calls or not. Let's continue to stand in solidarity with all prisoners of conscience in Bahrain and across the world, whose only real crime is speaking truth to power," activist Zaynab Al-Khawaja noted.

Prominent human rights activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja announced launching a hunger strike against preventing him from calling his family. Calls are the only means he can use to stay in contact with his family after visits were stopped due to Coronavirus.

Al-Khawaja is serving a life term sentence over leading anti-government protests.

Arabic Version