UAE punishes Nasser bin Ghaith with death threats and abuse for three-month hunger strike

UAE authorities have subjected a leading political prisoner to systematic abuse and mistreatment as punishment for engaging in a lengthy hunger strike. 

Nasser bin Ghaith is said to be the target of a deliberate and sustained campaign of repression in UAE's al-Razeen prison.

The prominant Emirati economist is currently serving a ten-year sentence in the UAE for speaking out againt human rights violations.

In recent weeks the well-known academic-turned-rights activist is reported to have received several death threats from prison staff. He has also been denied medical care to treat his high blood pressure and prevented from receiving family visits.

Sources close to the inmate said that bin Ghaith has been singled out by warders following a three-month hunger strike earlier this year, where he protested the poor conditions at the jail.

A maximum-security facility home to scores of government critics, Al-Razeen prison has become notorious for its repressive conditions. In recent years there have been numerous reports of inmates suffering physical and psychological abuse in the jail.