The Australian Greens are deeply concerned about Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace and are joining with the international community in calling for his immediate release.
Dr Al-Singace has been arbitrarily detained by the Kingdom of Bahrain since 2011. He was sentenced to life in prison for exercising his rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Human Rights Watch has reported that Dr Al-Singace has been conducting a liquids-only hunger strike for over 3 years. He is protesting the confiscation of his work and the insufficient medical care he is receiving in prison.
Adequate healthcare while detained is a requirement under international law, but it has been reported that medical care given to Dr Al-Singace has been lacking in many areas including failure to fill his prescriptions on time, and failure to provide him with disability support such as crutches and physiotherapy.
In addition, Dr Al-Singace has been held for over 3 years in a state of isolation likely amounting to solitary confinement, according to a group of UN experts. During this time, he has been unable to go outside or see the sunshine.
The Australian Greens are joining with Amnesty International to call for the Kingdom of Bahrain to immediately and unconditionally release Dr Al-Singace. Additionally, we are calling on authorities to ensure he receives the medical care he is entitled to under international law.
Furthermore, The Australian Greens are calling on the Australian Government to acknowledge the human rights abuses that have occurred and consider placing targeted sanctions on the individuals and entities who are responsible for his arbitrary detention and insufficient care.
The Greens will always work to call out human rights abuses and cases of arbitrary detention wherever they occur.
