Bahrain: Deteriorating health of hunger striker likely to incite continued demonstrations (April 5, 2012)

Authorities in Bahrain on April 4 reportedly moved Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a well known activist who has been on a nearly two month hunger strike from his current prison cell to a police run hospital due to concerns over his health. The activist, al-Khawaja has become a symbol for the opposition movement and his release has been cited as the driver behind many of the demonstrations in recent weeks. Should al-Khawaja’s die while in custody, it is likely to spur on wide scale marches which may result in acts of violence. That said, opposition demonstrations for a variety of grievances will likely continue throughout Shiite areas in the Kingdom, as evidenced by planned events for today, April 5 in Tubli and Slamabad, and events on April 6 in Western outskirts of Manama.

It is advised to avoid all protests and demonstrations as basic security precaution due to the potential for violent confrontations between activists and security forces. That said, travel to Manama’s business and diplomatic district can continue as normal. Read More>>