Bahraini regime denied entry to a European Member of Parliament who wanted to check on the situation of the jailed hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and other political prisoners.

 
Bahraini regime denied entry to a European Member of Parliament who wanted to check on the situation of the jailed hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and other political prisoners.

Ana Gomes, who arrived in Bahrain on Sunday, "was denied an upon-arrival visa and was directed to secure a proper visa through official channels", Bahrain's official news agency BNA reported in an English-language statement.
Gomes, a Portuguese socialist, had "provided information that raised the suspicions of Bahrain airport officials upon her arrival to the country", said the statement released late Monday.

"When the airport officials questioned the information provided, the MP changed her answers which raised further concern", it added.

For its art, the prominent opposition group, al-Wefaq, condemned the move, saying it was an attempt by the regime “to hide the real situations of the Bahraini prisoners of conscience from being circulated to the political campaigners worldwide".

Earlier on Monday Bahrain's highest appeals court ordered the retrial of 14 opposition activists, among them Khawaja, who has been on hunger strike since February 8.

The decision was met by criticism from rights groups who have been urging for the immediate release of the dissidents.
"Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja and the 13 other activists - who are all civilians - should not even be on trial in the first place, let alone tried in a military court" said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International's deputy programme director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Khawaja’s family had earlier expressed its fear of the deterioration in his health state and his transfer from the military hospital to an unknown place.