Bahraini hunger striker in hospital

A jailed activist who has been on hunger strike in Bahrain for 58 days was moved to a hospital and fed intravenously yesterday after his health deteriorated sharply.

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja is one of 14 men in prison for leading a pro-democracy uprising in Bahrain last year as the Arab Spring uprisings swept across the region. On Wednesday, the Information Affairs Authority said action had been taken after Mr Khawaja lost 10kg (22lbs).

His lawyer said the activist, who is serving a life term, had now been moved.

"[He] is in a military hospital which is more equipped than the Interior Ministry clinic where he was earlier," added Mohammed al-Jishi. "His condition has worsened ... his blood pressure is down, and he is getting an intravenous drip."

The Front Line Defenders rights group said: "He now has an 80 per cent chance of dying and is at risk of organ failure."

His daughter, the rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja, was detained during a protest on Thursday in front of the Interior Ministry.

Reuters