UAE prisoner of opinion launches hunger strike for freedom, dignity

The Emirati prisoner of conscience Imran al-Radwan started an open hunger strike on May 25 in protest against enforced strip searches at al-Razeen prison, a practice that some academics have categorised as sexual abuse.

A prison doctor reportedly threatened to force-feed Radwan after his health deteriorated significantly last week as he health condition has been seriously deteriorated.

Al-Radwan was arrested by the State Security Apparatus in the well-known case of the "UAE 94” on July 16, 2012. 

He was subjected to enforced disappearance as well as torture and ill-treatment in secret detention centers and deprived of fair trial guarantees after that the State Security chamber of the federal Supreme Court issued a final verdict on 2 July 2013 that cannot be appealed in any way and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment for trumped-up charges of establishing an organization aimed at overthrowing the regime.