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Bahraini government protester begins second week of hunger strike outside embassy

A MAN entered his second week of hunger strike outside the Bahraini embassy in London today, over his elderly father’s treatment in prison in the Gulf kingdom, where he is being denied vital medical treatment.

Ali Mushaima began his eighth day of his hunger strike when the Star visited him outside the building, where he sleeps on wooden boards, covered with blankets.

 

 

He told the Star that his father Hassan, an opposition leader, was jailed for life by a military court in 2011 for protesting against the repression and corruption of the Bahraini government.

Amnesty International has recognised Hassan, who is a cancer survivor, as a prisoner of conscience and the UN has called for him to be freed.

Human Rights Watch said that physical and psychological torture was used against him by the authorities to extract so-called confessions. The abuse resulted in him having to have four operations.

For the past 18 months of his seven years in jail he has also been denied the medication he needs, has been made to wear handcuffs and shackles and had his books taken away, which Amnesty International UK stated is against the UN Mandela rule for treatment of prisoners.

Ali told the Star: “They want to humiliate him. There’s no acceptable reason for them to do this to him.

“Four weeks ago they told him that he needs to go and collect his medication with handcuffs and prison uniform, just for two minutes to walk to the clinic on the prison site.

“He’s 70 years old, he’s not going to run away.”

Ali said that the medics refused to give his father, who is diabetic, medication for his blood sugar yesterday.

He said that Hassan had called him shortly after his clinic visit but that the prison officers ended the call as soon as he said too much about how he is being treated.

Ali continued: “It’s not easy sleeping on the streets. I have lost 5kgs. My body feels OK but my spirit is high.

“I believe the government is taking away his basic rights and they should be ashamed.”

He told the Star that supporters can write to their MPs urging them to contact the Foreign Office about his father, as well as sign and share a change.org petition that opened this week. 

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