Hospitalized Bahraini human rights activist reported missing: family

Prominent Bahraini human rights activist, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, has been taken from his hospital room and moved to an unkown location, the online site of the Danish daily Politiken quoted his family as saying on Wednesday.

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja’s wife, who tried to contact her hunger-striking husband in Bahrain earlier in the day, had been told that there was no one in the room, al-Khawaja’s son-in-law, Wafi al Majed has confirmed to DR News.

“We have not had contact with him for two days. Normally he calls home every day. His wife has tried to call him, but the nurse has confirmed to his wife that he has been moved. But we don’t know whether he is alive or dead, or why he has been moved. Perhaps to force-feed him,” al-Majed said.

Al-Khawaja has been on hunger strike for 77 days and has refused liquids for the past six days.

The case of Bahrain’s most prominent human rights activist has become a focus of anti-government protests amid growing global 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 European Union 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.’

On Tuesday, Catherine Ashton, the chief diplomat for the European Union, called for his release.

Ashton said al Khawaja’s health is ‘seriously deteriorating and his life is at risk.’

‘The EU urges in the strongest possible terms the Bahraini authorities to find a compassionate, pragmatic and humanitarian solution … as a matter of the utmost urgency,’ she said.