MANAMA // More than 100 jailed Bahraini activists, including doctors who treated protesters during months of anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom, are on hunger strike, an international panel said yesterday.
The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry said in a statement that 84 opposition supporters were on hunger strike in prison.
In addition, 17 detained activists had been hospitalised by the interior ministry for their refusal to eat.
Hundreds of activists have been imprisoned since February when Shiite-led demonstrations began in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.
The five-member panel had been set up in June to investigate the situation in the country. Yesterday's statement said an international expert on hunger strikes would join the panel to visit the detainees and evaluate their condition.
"Medical advice will be provided and the expert will discuss the challenges of hunger strike," the statement said, adding that the hunger strike started nine days ago.
Among jailed activists on hunger strike are 20 doctors who were on trial in a special security court on charges of participating in efforts to overthrow Bahrain's 200-year-old monarchy.
Other jailed opposition supporters have joined the strike, including two prominent Shiite activists, Abdul Jalil Al Singace and Abdulhadi Al Khawaja. They were sentenced to life in prison in June for their role in protests.
The doctors' trial is being closely watched by rights groups, which have criticised Bahrain's use of the security court that included military prosecutors and civilians and military judges.
The case against 11 health professionals was back in the special tribunal yesterday. No verdict was expected from the session.
The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry includes international judicial and human-rights experts. They started the investigation with the consent of the Sunni rulers.
The commission's findings are expected on October 30.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Man of the match Harry Kane
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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