Prison CLINIC can no longer administer IV Fluids as Activists Veins are too weak
The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) calls on international human rights organizations to urgently intervene to secure the release of human rights defender Mr.Abdulhadi Alkhawaja (Previous President and acting director of the BCHR) who is to enter his 21st day of hungerstrike tomorrow. Mr.Abdulhadi Alkhawaja had began the hungerstrike demanding “Freedom or Death” on the 8th of February which followed a 1 week hungerstrike just 2 days before which aimed at highlighting the continued human rights violations taking place in Bahrain.
According to Mr.Alkhawaja’s wife, the activist can no longer tolerate sitting for longer than 10-15 minutes in the sun due to fatigue and spends most of his day lying down. Mr.Alkhawaja’s wife also states that the activist needs a hot water bottle to keep his body warm.
The activists lawyer, Mr. Mohammed Aljishi had previously stated that the hospital clinic can no longer administer IV fluids as the activists veins are too weak.
Mr. Abdulhadi Alkhawaja’s daughter, Human Rights Defender Ms.Maryam Alkhawaja, Head of Foreign Relations of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights(BCHR)as well as the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) , had previously stated that Mr.Alkhawaja was exhibiting symptoms of a person on his 60th day of hungerstrike as his Kidney had already started to get affected. He also shows signs of increasing fatigue and lack of concentration in addition to having difficulty in moving.
The activist, even in accordance to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) that was commissioned by the King , was subject to severe torture. Numerous international human rights organizations have called for Mr.Abdulhadi Alkhawaja’s release such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights First as well as Frontline Defenders and questioned the trial procedures through which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The BYSHR once again calls for the immediate and unconditional release of human rights defender Mr.Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and places full responsibility for his well being on the Bahraini authorities.
Update - 28 Feb 2012
Abdulhadi Alkhawaja is now on his 19th Day of open hunger strike for freedom at the central prison of Bahrain. According to his family, Alkhawaja is not able to go out for more than 10/15 minutes, and cannot sit up for a long time. He spends most of his time laying down as his health continues to deteriorate. Prison's medics have stopped giving him IV completely as they can no longer insert the needle into his veins due to how small they've gotten.
A sit-in took place in Al Wefaq Head Quarter on Feb 27, 2012, in soilidarity with Abdulhadi Al Khawaja. Large numbers of people were present in the event including human rights and political activists. (Photos here)
Online activists planned for several days to tweet about AlKhawaja on twitter
using certain hashtags at certain times aiming to make it trend worldwide and
thus shed light at the plight of the country's detainees. It sounded impossible
considering the small population of Bahrain but the international tweeting
support helped in making it happen.
The manged to do it three times so far
and to appear on World wide trending topics using #HelpKhawaja
, #Hungry4BH
(also documented here) and
#Bahraini4Freedom.
If you are on twitter you can follow @khawajastrike and join next
campaign!
Update - 23 Feb 2012 - As Received from AlKhawaja's lawyer, Mr
Mohamed AlJishi:
In a one-hour private visit, I met Abdulhadi Al Khawaja today in Jaw Central Prison. Signs of fatigue were clearly shown on Al Khawaja. He was pale and lost lots of weight. I sent him all the people's plea to stop the strike as they need him alive to struggle for Bahrain, and for his own risk.
Abdulhadi Al Khawaja told the lawyer: "I thank who ever stand in solidarity with me and people of Bahrain outside and inside the country. The case is not only about me. It's about all wrongfully detainees in Bahrain. My hungerstrike is a part of my Human rights defence inside jail. It's very important to focus on all detainees as I'm just a part of them. I will continue with my hunger strike till I reach my demands despite the consequences. I'm aware that freedom is expensive and we must sacrifice to gain it."
According to the lawyer, although Al Khawaja is really tired after 2 weeks of hunger strike, he is still holding his head high and smiling.
His wife, Mrs Khadija AlMousawi said that after a urine checkup to Abdulhadi, there was blood in his urine. The doctor asked him to drink juice and he does now to avoid kidney failure.
AlKhawaja is now on his 15th day of Hunger strike for Freedom or death.
During a sit-in protest in front of the UN office organized by the political societies on Feb 22, 2012 to condemn the international community's silence towards the human rights violations in Bahrain, a group of youth wore T-shirts with photo of Abdulhadi on it in support to his strike. At the night, a number of protests took place in solidarity with Alkhawaja. (see more photos here)
Imprisoned HRD AlKhawaja Calls EU to stand to their obligation to
protect humanrights defenders
On a letter that he wrote to the Danish Forieng Minister, Danish-Bahrini human rights defender Alkhawaja called EU member states to take action as per the EU-Guidelines to protect human rights defender.
"As a human rights defender, regardless of being a Danish citizen, I am entitled for protection by EU member states in accordance with the EU Guidelines on the protection of human rights defenders around the world. Hence, I would suggest that the Danish authorities kindly put more efforts, in coordination with the other EU-State members, to take whatever possible action at the regional level as embassies, in Brussels institutions ad at the UN in Geneva, to address my case and the cases of other detained activists, calling for release, repartition and protection for human rights defenders in Bahrain. "
Read
AlKhawaja's letter from prison here
Update - 21 Feb 2012
Abdulhadi Alkhawaja is now in his 14th day of Hunger Strike for freedom. He has lost 9 kilos, and suffered an internal bleeding due to kidneys damage.
Andrew Anderson, Front Line Defenders Deputy Director, wrote on his blog:
I know that Abdulhadi does not seek death. He is a person full of hope and love for his family and his community. But I know that he will be hugely frustrated by the ongoing death toll which has seen a teenager tortured to death and many others die from tear-gas inhalation. It seems he is seeking to force the issue in the most desperate way a prisoner can.
Update - 18 Feb 2012
Alkhawaja: “The hungerstrike allows
me to shed light on human rights violations from my Prison Cell”
The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) has learnt that Human Rights Defender Mr.Abdulhadi Alkhawaja (51 years) is determined to continue in his hungerstrike until he secures his release. Family members have informed the BYSHR that although Mr. Alkhawaja was in high spirits, he looked thin and weak and had obvious problems concentrating.
Mr.Alkhawaja also confirmed that he had collapsed last Wednesday and was transferred to the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital after a sharp drop in his sugar and blood pressure. He was first transferred to the Jaw Prison clinic but when medics saw his condition they quickly called for an ambulance. He was semi unconscious when he was transported via an ambulance to the hospital where he suffered from muscle spasms. He received treatment but refused to end his hungerstrike.
It is important to note that this is the second hungerstrike the activists engages in with only 2 days in between, the first which was with the other 13 detained activists in protest to the ongoing human rights violations and which lasted for 1 week. The activist is currently in his 10th day of his second hungerstrike. This has contributed to the deterioration in is health condition.
Mr.Alkhawaja stated that he was on hungerstrike because as a human rights activist he needs to play a role in exposing human rights violations, whether he be on the inside or the outside of a prison cell. The hungerstrike aims to secure his release, but more importantly allow him the opportunity to do something inside prison to shed light on the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. He said that those who claim to defend human rights need to be prepared to make sacrifices, and that he was prepared for all possible consequences of this hungerstrike. He also wanted to highlight the plight of those prisoners of conscience still detained and shed light on their cause.
The BYSHR supports and respects Human Rights Defender Mr.Abdulhadi
Alkhawaja’s decision to continue his hungerstrike and calls on the international
community to stand behind him in order to secure his release and support his
plight in highlighting the human rights violations happening in the Kingdom of
Bahrain.
byshr.org
Update - 15 Feb 2012
Abdulhadi Alkhawaja collapsed last night due to Hunger strike "freedom or
death" in continued detention. He was admitted to hospital and was given IV
without his consent. According to his lawyer Mohamed AlJishi who was able to
meet him today, Alkhawaja has difficulty moving, talking and seems extremely
exhausted. He is continuing on his Hunger strike. The lawyer expressed worries
about Abdulhadi Al Khawaja's health condition after yesterday's setback.
14 Feb 2012
The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) has learned from Human Rights Defender Mr.Abdulhadi alkhawaja’s family that his health has deteriorated today as he enters his seventh day of hunger strike for freedom. Mr.Alkhawaja began the hungerstrike on Wednesday the 8th of February, and demanded “Freedom or death” as a condition for ending his hungerstrike. He has been taken to hospital more than once in the past days due to a drop in his blood sugar.
In a phone call to the family, Mr.Alkhawaja’s brother, Mr.Salah Alkhawaja (also sentenced in the same case as Mr.Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and serving 5 years) informed them about the health condition of Mr.Abdulhadi and his intention of starting a hungerstike tonight in solidarity.
The BYSHR calls on the international community and human rights organisation
to pressure the Bahraini government for the immediate and unconditional release
of Mr.Abdulhadi alkhawaja.
byshr.org
Open Letter to Danish Foreign Minister
Open Letter written by Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja to Danish Foreign Minister on the eve of his hunger strike in which he demanded his freedom and that of the other detainees.
12 Feb 2012 - Abdulhadi Alkhawaja : Freedom or Death
Abdulhadi Alkhawaja has entered his 5th day on hunger strike for
freedom. He was hospitalized two nights ago (Feb 10, 2012) because of his
deteriorating health due to the hunger strike. On Feb 11, 2012 He refused IV and
is only drinking water with glucose. Alkhawaja almost went into a coma and was
admitted to the hospital on the 31st of January due to low BP and blood sugar
during his earlier hunger strike. Family members and colleagues are concerned
about his continued detention and hunger strike as well as his previous history
with torture, and believe that his rapidly deteriorating health will be fatal.
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