Day 78, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja “freedom or death” hunger strike, disappeared – MOI shuts out family and communication about his condition

Increased Concern for Al-Khawaja Amid Disappearance
26 April, 2012 – POMED

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja entered his 78th day of hunger strike today, but his whereabouts is still unconfirmed. His wife recalled their last phone conversation on Monday, saying, “”Something is very wrong. He was talking about accepting death as the path of freedom, he sounded very weak and tired.” Al-Khawaja’s lawyer, Mohamed al-Jishi said he is requesting a court order for visiting rights to his client, whom he has not seen since April 4th. Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs Khalid Bin Ali Al-Khalifa said al-Khawaja can make a voluntary choice to end his hunger strike, and assured the BBC that he is being provided with “optimal health care.” Al-Khawaja’s case and the recent increase in reported cases of violence have prompted an official statement from U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, who called for an end to the violence and urged the Bahraini government to find a solution for al-Khawaja’s case. The State Department also issued a travel warning about Bahrain.

Western media has received some criticism for its coverage of Bahrain. Sarah Hildt says the New York Times falsely characterized al-Khawaja’s daughter, Zainab al-Khawaja. “The American media has failed spectacularly in its coverage of Bahrain,” she writes, “Let us at very least not deepen this failure by now slandering and misrepresenting the stance of someone as principled and courageous as his daughter Zainab.” Jihad El-Khazen, writing for Saudi-owned Al Arabiya, attributes poor Western media coverage of Bahrain to “ignorance.” Sara Yasin says the Bahraini government has been given ample time to implement the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations, and given the lack of substantial reform, “This means that [the international community] shouldn’t be doing business with the regime, and most certainly should not be selling them arms or inviting them to lunch.” …source