Mr. al-Khawaja’s family says he stopped eating on Aug. 9 and two days later, because of serious cardiac problems, was rushed to the intensive care unit, where he was placed on an IV. On Aug. 29, he was again taken to the hospital and spent 5½ hours being stabilized in an emergency room. His daughter Maryam al-Khawaja plans to fly home this week to draw attention to his plight, even though she’s risking arrest and life imprisonment by doing so. She was arrested on her last visit in 2014 but released a month later under international pressure.
Like her father, she holds dual citizenship in Bahrain and Denmark. With Mr. al-Khawaja’s health deteriorating, Bahrain’s government could offer him compassionate release to Copenhagen so that he can get the care he needs. Bahraini authorities could also give local United Nations representatives and independent doctors access to the prison, to see for themselves the state of its inmates.
Government officials claim that there are no political prisoners in the country, that they follow international rules and that all prisoners get the same health care as members of the public. The General Directorate of Reform and Rehabilitation insists that Mr. al-Khawaja’s “health is stable with no serious concerns” and that he stopped participating in the hunger strike on Aug. 16. His daughter says he’s drinking juice and coffee with milk only when he feels faint. But human rights groups say some of the prisoners who stopped eating have been isolated, refused care and beaten by guards.
Bahrain has shown some signs of progress. In May, its parliament repealed a law that allowed rapists to escape punishment if they married their victims. Yet the kingdom brutally stamped out a mass uprising during the Arab Spring, with the help of troops from Saudi Arabia. Thousands were rounded up. Hundreds had their citizenship taken away. Independent media and opposition political parties were outlawed.
Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa’s visit to Washington is designed to demonstrate U.S. staying power in the Persian Gulf and underscore the value of the strategic partnership. Bahrain is officially a major non-NATO ally and home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. This gives Washington leverage.
The Biden administration should use it to aid Mr. al-Khawaja and other prisoners. The crown prince, who was once seen as a moderate influence inside the royal family, replaced his great-uncle as prime minister in November 2020. The hunger strike offers him an opportunity to show statesmanship. Authorities should not arrest Ms. al-Khawaja when she comes to see her father. They should send him to Denmark in her care.
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