Ahmed Mansoor declares hunger strike

Ahmed Mansoor declares hunger strike

Reliable sources have confirmed that leading Emirati human rights activist, Ahmed

Mansoor, has launched his second hunger strike in protest over his inhumane treatment and subjection to torture while in solitary confinement at al-Sadr prison.

It is understood that Mansoor, a member of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights and recipient of the presigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, began this hunger strike three weeks ago after being subject to torture and ill treatment that left visible marks on his face.

Mansoor was arbitrarily detained in March 2017 and held in an unknown location without access to legal counsel. He was eventually sentenced in May 2018 to ten years for “defaming the UAE through social media channels.” 

He began his first hunger strike in March of this year in protest against his inhumane prison conditions. The resultant weight loss further exacerbated existing health problems that resulted from his treatment in prison. Following this, the second hunger strike now puts his health at serious risk.

Mansoor has received support from prominent international figures such as Noam Chomsky and Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry, and in May 2019 the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture condemned “the poor conditions of his detention in the United Arab Emirates, including prolonged solitary confinement,” indicating that these conditions “may constitute torture.” In spite of this, the UAE continues to treat Mansoor with utter disregard for his health and humanity. 

Tags: #FreeAhmed

 

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