Bahrain political society announces hunger strike to support detainees

Bahrain's secular political party Waad announced Friday to organize a hunger strike in solidarity with detained political activists and opposition leaders who are also on a hunger strike for more than 10 days. Waad, or the National Democratic Action Society, said the hunger strike will take place at its headquarters in Um Al Hassam on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.. The hunger strike is meant to support the society's secretary general Ibrahim Sharif, who is in detention and is fasting to protest against the arrests of women who marched and shouted anti- government slogans last month in one of the country's largest shopping mall, the Bahrain City Center. Waad members and supporters are expected to take part in the hunger strike. "The decision to go on strike has been taken by the (society's) central committee in support with our secretary general and other detained political leaders," said Waad's Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs, Radhi Al-Musawi. "We have expressed our concern regarding the information received from detainees (which) stated that the prison administration decided to stop providing medical care to them because of their hunger strike, violating all related international standards." In the past few weeks, Bahrain's National Safety Court has sentenced dozens of people for their roles in the unrest since February, including medics and protesters. Sharif, a political activist, was sentenced last month to five- year imprisonment by the National Safety Court on charges of inciting hatred and having links with foreign terrorist organization to overthrow the leadership. Shairf is among 21 clerics, prominent political society heads and activists who were standing on a high profile trial. Seven of the suspects were charged in absentia.