Political prisoners go on hunger strike in Saudi Arabia

Political prisoners have gone on a hunger strike in Saudi Arabia to protest against their imprisonment without charge or trial, and the horrible jail conditions, Press TV reports. Activists say more than 70 inmates have stopped eating in a bid to draw international attention to the inhuman prison conditions in Saudi Arabia. They hope that their protest would prompt an immediate action to stop the gross violation of human rights in Saudi jails. Saudi activists say there are more than 40,000 political prisoners, mostly prisoners of conscience, in jails across the kingdom. According to the activists, most of the detained political prisoners are being held by the government without trial or legitimate charges. Some of the detainees are reported to have been held without trial for more than 16 years. Attempting to incite the public against the ruling regime and the allegiance to foreign entities are usually the ready-made charges against political dissidents in Saudi Arabia. Families and relatives of political prisoners have held several public gatherings in major cities, including Riyadh, Mecca, Medina and Buraidah. However, their protests have failed to bear any results. Since February 2011, protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in Saudi Arabia, mainly in the Qatif region and the town of Awamiyah in Eastern Province, primarily calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination. However, the demonstrations turned into protests against the repressive Al Saud regime, especially after November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in the province. According to Human Rights Watch, the Saudi regime “routinely represses expression critical of the government.”