(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Ashton said in a statement released in Brussels she was 'very worried' that al-Khawaja's appeal's court was delayed until April 30.
She stressed her 'deep concern' about the deteriorating health of al Khawaja, who has been on hunger strike since early February.
The EU's top diplomat reiterated the postponement of al Khawaja’s judicial case by one week made 'these concerns even more serious.'
Ashton called on Bahraini authorities 'to find a rapid, pragmatic humanitarian solution to Mr. Al Khawaja’s case, as a matter of absolute urgency.'
The case of Bahrain's most prominent human rights activist has become a focus of anti-government protests amid mounting international pressure on the western-backed al Khalifa regime.
Earlier this month, Bahrain rejected Denmark's request to take custody of al-Khawaja, who is also a Danish citizen.
'We consider the situation to be very, very serious,' Danish Foreign Minister Villy Soevndal said in a Danish television interview.
'We think we're talking about days during which action must be taken if anything has to be achieved in this case.'
Al Khawaja was sentenced to life in prison last year.
Neither al Khawaja nor any of the other defendants were present at the hearing, which was held under tight security.
Meanwhile, al Khawaja's daughter, Maryam called on the EU to intensify its pressure on the Bahraini regime.
'Statements are not making a difference anymore,' she said. 'We need to see real actions against the Bahrani regime for all the human rights violations that are being committed.'
Western governments did not issue an explicit condemnation of Manama's use of violence and intimidation in last year's protests, as Saudi Arabia sent more than 1,000 troops into Bahrain to help the al-Khalifa regime quell the protest movement that started in February 2011 asking for democratic reforms.
The western refusal to condemn massive human rights abuses committed by Bahraini security forces while condemning similar abuses in other Arab states has undermined any credibility it had with Bahrainis.
International human right groups have time and again complained that the West has kept mum amid reports that Bahrain's Sunni-led government is waging a violent and bloody crackdown — destroying Shiite mosques, illegally detaining and torturing dissidents, attacking medical personnel to prevent them from treating wounded protesters, abusing women and girls,and expelling media representatives from the Persian Gulf kingdom.
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