TEHRAN, YJC. Denmark Ambassador to Beirut has called the newly released political activist Abdulhadi Al Khawaja the Mandela of Bahrain.
Al-Manar has quoted Denmark Ambassador to Beirut Jan Top Christensen as saying Monday in a meeting with a commission from the Bahrain Center for Human Rights that the people of Denmark appreciate Abdulhadi Al Khawaja’s liberalistic activities.
Top Christensen likened Al Khawaja to Nelson Mandela, the African anti-apartheid leader.
He added that the Danish government has made a lot of attempt to help free Al Khawaja from Al Khalifa prisons.
Top Christensen also said that his country always stresses the
Bahrainis’ legal right to freedom of speech and peaceful protests for the realization
of democracy and equality.
In a report on August 4, 2012 Al Manar said that Bahrain has refused to hand Al Khawaja to Denmark.
"Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa received a written letter from Danish Foreign Minister Villy Soevndal asking Abdulhadi al-Khawaja be transferred to Denmark since he holds Danish citizenship," Al Manar quoted BNA.
The request was referred to the head of the Supreme Judicial Council.
"The health of Khawaja has been deteriorating in these days, with the activists
was being transferred to a hospital inside the prison.
Bahrainis have been in the recent days staging rallies across the country,
voicing support the activist and demanding his release,” Al Manar added.
"In June, Al-Khawaja was handed down a life sentence for having led an anti-regime protest earlier last year. Human rights groups have asked the regime to release him on humanitarian grounds,” the news channel said.
Al Khawaja is a founder of Bahrain Center for Human Rights. He was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment by the country’s martial court for "activities intended to topple the royal family” in April 2011.
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