Bahraini activist moved to hospital

A jailed Bahraini activist who has been on hunger strike for 56 days has been moved to a police hospital as his health deteriorates, raising fears for his life, the government and his lawyer said. Abdulhadi al-Khawaja was moved to a clinic of the Public Security Fort for observation, the Information Affairs Authority, a government media body, said in a statement on Wednesday. It said he was moved after losing 10 kg (20 pounds) in weight with low haemoglobin, though not at critical levels. He was taken to a military hospital last week for one day. Lawyer Mohammed al-Jishi said Khawaja, who is striking to protest against his incarceration, had decided to take only water from now on. He had been drinking a chemical mix including glucose. Khawaja is one of 14 men in prison for leading a pro-democracy uprising last year after revolts in Egypt and Tunisia. He is serving a life term. An appeal hearing began this week. Rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty say Khawaja, who also has Danish nationality, and the other men are prisoners of conscience and should be released. Bahrain has been in turmoil for a year with regular opposition party marches and rallies and clashes between riot police and youths in Shi'ite districts involving tear gas and petrol bombs. Bahrain will host the Formula One Grand Prix on April 20-22. Khawaja's family have identified him as case no. 8 in abuse recounted by unnamed detainees in the November report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), which Manama formed after international pressure to investigate the unrest. The detainee underwent surgery on his jaw after he was beaten up on arrest on April 8. The account says that abuse resumed eight days later, including beatings on the soles of his feet and being sodomized with a stick. The report says the detainee went on hunger strike at that time in an effort to stop the torture. Bahrain's government has acknowledged the report's finding that some detainees died under torture, but says it is implementing reforms of its security forces and detention facilities that will prevent future abuses.