The calls to release activist Abdulhadi Al Khawaja in Bahrain are growing by the day. The 51 year old Bahrani-Danish citizen has been on a hunger strike for a sixteen days. Al Khawaja was arrested in April 2011 and has been entenced to life imprisonment in June.
In an ‘open letter’ letter written from prison on Feb. 8, 2011 the Danish citizen has asked the government of Denmark for an EU intervention and stressed on the human right violations in Bahrain.
An online campaign is underway in Bahrain with leading human rights activists and citizens raising their voice to free the activist. #helpkhawaja is trending and many people have changed their twitter profile pictures with that of Al Khawaja. Numerous people have lost their lives in Bahrain and many jailed since anti-government protests began in Bahrain on February 14, 2011.
Activists spread the word on twitter, including tweets coming from one of his daughter.
Use #helpkhawaja: bring attention to cause of human rights defender arrested, severely tortured, sentenced to life, now on hungerstrike
— Maryam Alkhawaja (@MARYAMALKHAWAJA) February 23, 2012
We’re in campaign to support #Bharain #HumanRights activist Abdulhadi Khawaja on #HungerStrike in jail. Use hashtag #HelpKhawaja #Bahrain
— Fadi Al-Qadi (@fqadi) February 23, 2012
Within hours of this creation the hagtag was trending across the globe
Image: TrendsMap
With the kind of support it attacked #HelpKhawaja became a trending topic on Twitter
#HelpKhawaja is trending keep it up people #bahrain #PALESTINE twitter.com/emybah/status/…
— Emy (@emybah) February 23, 2012
To reflect their support to #HelpKhawaja many prominent Bahraini Activists including Nabeel Rajab changed their Twitter profile picture to Al Khawaja’s picture.
Image: @NabeelRajab
Support came from world over for Al Khawaja on his 15th day of hunger strike
I salute evolutionary Khawajas: @MARYAMALKHAWAJA and @angryarabiya & father AbdulHadi Khawaja on his 15th day of hunger strike #HelpKhawaja
— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) February 23, 2012
#HelpKhawaja because those who struggle for their rights are constantly maligned as sectarian, when they are not.
— Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) February 23, 2012
#HelpKhawaja because Bahrain deserves to be a country for all its citizens, not an aircraft carrier for US imperialism.
— Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) February 23, 2012
#helpkhawaja is the Neslon Mandela of #bahrain WE LOVE YOU
— ElaineMasons (@ElaineMasons) February 23, 2012
A petition was floated demanding Al Khawaja’s freedom, which has already garnered over 27,000 signatures. Al Khawaja’s daughter Maryam Khawaja another prominent Bahraini activists tweeted about her father tortured in detention.
signatures: 27,761.The Petition Site:Free Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, Bahraini Human Rights Activistbit.ly/xSaCGJ#HelpKhawaja #Bahrain
— Abu Saber (@Moawen) February 23, 2012
Week ago I sat for an excruciating hour listening to former detainee speak abt how he heard Alkhawaja being tortured evry nite #helpkhawaja
— Maryam Alkhawaja (@MARYAMALKHAWAJA) February 23, 2012
I wanna know who said the protests in Bahrain were Shia? How is demanding rights “Shia”? & what is wrong with Shia?! #HelpKhawaja
— Leila ليلى (@LSal92) February 23, 2012
Protests across Bahrain were seen in solidarity with Al Khawaja
Protest in solidarity with AlKhawaja near #UN #Bahrain #HelpKhawaja twitter.com/lady_7oor/stat…
— HooR(@lady_7oor) February 23, 2012
About a month back, Al Khawaja wrote a letter to the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, highlighting his plight and the plight of other Bahraini dissidents:
Source: Frontline Defenders via Scribd
