Bahrainis march near capital to demand Khawaja's release

Bahraini protesters have held an anti-regime rally near the capital, Manama, to demand the release of prominent human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. Witnesses say hundreds of Bahrainis took part in the protest rally dubbed 'Friday of Khawaja's Victory' in Ma’ameer village. Some reports suggest that Saudi-backed regime forces fired tear gas to disperse protesters. The rally comes as mystery surrounds the whereabouts of Khawaja, who has been on hunger strike for nearly three months, and authorities refuse to allow his family to contact him. Khawaja's wife Khadija al-Mousawi says she was not allowed to see or phone her husband since Monday and that she has about his information on his health. "They say he is in good health, but if that's true, then why won't they let me speak to him, why won't they let me see him?" Mousawi told AFP on Thursday She added that she was also prevented from visiting her daughter, Zainab, who was arrested on Saturday night, one day before the F1 race, for holding a peaceful sit-in demanding the release of her father. Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who holds dual Danish and Bahraini citizenship, was given a life sentence in June 2011 over accusations of inciting protests against the Manama regime. He went on hunger strike early in February to protest against the life sentence he received. Amnesty International, however, considers Khawaja a “prisoner of conscience, detained solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression” and has called for his immediate release. Despite national and international calls for Khawaja's release, Manama has so far refused to drop charges against him. Bahrain’s Court of Cassation is due to rule on Khawaja's appeal against his conviction next week.