Amnesty raise alarm over Ahmed Mansoor’s health condition

Amnesty raise alarm over Ahmed Mansoor’s health condition

Amnesty International has expressed deep concern for the health of the award-winning human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor as he enters his fourth week on hunger strike in UAE’s al-Sadr prison.

Mansoor, who is serving a 10-year sentence for tweets, is protesting against his poor prison conditions and unfair trial.   

Commenting on developments, Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Middle East Research Director, said:

‘Ahmed Mansoor “It is clearly not enough for the UAE authorities to have wrongly convicted and sentenced Ahmed Mansoor to ten years behind bars. It seems they want to further crush him by making his life in prison unbearable, including by keeping him in solitary confinement since his arrest two years ago.

“As a human right defender, arrested solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression, Ahmed Mansoor should never have been tried and imprisoned in the first place, and we are greatly concerned that his lengthy hunger strike will result in the deterioration of his health. 
 
“Ahmed Mansoor’s only ‘crime’ was to express his peaceful opinions on social media. It is outrageous that the authorities are so vindictive towards him, especially after branding 2019 the ‘year of tolerance’.  He should be released immediately and unconditionally.

“Pending his release, the UAE authorities must ensure that Ahmed Mansoor’s detention conditions are improved in line with international standards and that he has immediate and regular access to his family and any healthcare he may require.”

Tags: #FreeAhmed

 

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