Zainab al-Khawaja Ends Hunger Strike – Bahrain Regime Allows Access to Father, Family

Bahraini protester ends hunger strike

Zainab al-Khawaja says plight of her detained family is better highlighted if she uses her voice to support protest movement.

Zainab al-Khawaja had been on hunger strike for 10 days in protest at Bahrain soldiers’ treatment of her father, husband and brother-in-law. Photograph: Hasan Jamali/AP

Zainab al-Khawaja, the Bahraini human rights activist who witnessed her father, husband and brother-in-law being beaten and imprisoned by masked soldiers earlier this month has ended her hunger strike.

The 27-year-old mother of one told the Guardian that she has decided to stop her 10-day fast after becoming convinced that “being silent in a tomb and not able to speak is not in the interests of my family.”

Her decision follows pressure from human rights groups who tried to persuade her to use her voice in support of the protest movement, arguing that the Bahraini government would rather she were dead than alive.

Meanwhile, Khawaja’s hopes of seeing her family again were given a boost, after relatives received phonecalls from the authorities on Wednesday indicating that the three men were alive.

Khawaja’s husband, Wafi Almajed, called his mother from custody and asked for his father to bring clothes, a toothbrush and shampoo for him to the fort in Manama, the capital.

Bahraini officials also phoned making the same request for Khawaja’s brother-in-law, Hussein Ahmed, and asked the family to bring essentials to a military court for her father, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. The 50-year-old is a prominent critic of the regime who was targeted after he called for the king of Bahrain to face trial. It is thought that Almajed and Ahmed were seized because they were with him at the time.

“We feel so happy,” she said. “A few hours ago we were worried if they were dead. At least we know they are OK now. We had very little hope yesterday, so today is a great day.” …more