AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Political prisoners on hunger strike in Bahrain have rebuffed government concessions and will extend their protest, raising the stakes in the biggest showdown for years between dissidents and the Saudi-backed ruling family.
Rights groups and families of detainees say some 800 prisoners are on hunger strike at the capital's Jaw prison over what they call harsh conditions there, and they said on Thursday that the prisoners had rejected government concessions.
"Based on conversations with prisoners following the Interior Ministry statement, it is clear that the hunger strike will continue until the government addresses their concerns seriously and in good faith," said Sayed Al-Wadaei, advocacy director at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy.
Al-Wadaei said prisoners are demanding an end to isolation of some inmates, increased daily open air time, permission to hold prayers in congregation, amended visitation rules and access to more medical care and education.
The interior ministry said on Monday that it planned to double the daily outdoor time to two hours, increase the duration of family visits and review rates for phone calls after the hunger strike began on Aug. 7.
Bahraini human rights activist Maryam Al-Khawaja said her father Abdulhadi, a prominent opposition figure, was rushed to intensive care twice after the hunger strike started and was denied access to a cardiologist to treat his heart condition.
Ahmed Jaafar, another prisoner, was put in isolation after he started the hunger strike and was hospitalised on Aug. 27, his family said in a statement.
The United Nations human rights office said it was ready to conduct an assessment of prison conditions in Bahrain and give advice to authorities in line with international standards.
The Sunni Muslim Al Khalifa dynasty has largely kept a lid on dissent since Riyadh sent troops to help it crush an "Arab Spring" uprising in 2011 by the mostly Shi'ite opposition. Since then, Bahrain has dissolved the main opposition groups and prosecuted thousands of people and stripped hundreds of their nationalities in mass trials. Many have fled abroad.
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