Alwaght- Human rights groups expressed deep concerns over deteriorating situation in tiny Persian Gulf Island of Bahrain where the West-backed Al Khalifa regime has been cracking down on pro-democracy activists since 2011.
"Bahrain is now clearly sliding in a new and very dangerous direction with 37 people arrested yesterday alone," US-based Human Rights First said on Thursday.
"The fairly weak level of restraint that was there before has all but gone," Brian J. Dooley ,Senior Advisor at Human Rights First, said, adding that countries influential in Bahrain such as the United States and Britain needed to step up their criticism.
Bahrain, where the Shi'ite Muslim majority is ruled by a Sunni Muslim royal family, backed by Saudi Arabia has pursued a crackdown on opposition activists since 2011 uprising calling for democracy.
Al Khalifa regime have closed opposition political groupings, revoked dissidents' passports and arrested many activists.
However, Manama regime, to justify clamping down on dissent, claims portrays the pro-democracy democracy activists as terrorists who are backed Shiite Iran. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly rejected any involvement Bahrain's public uprising.
Concerns over Nabeel Rajab's health
Dimitris Christopoulos, head of the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights, an umbrella group, expressed concern about health and safety of prominent Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab who was sentenced to two years in prison in July on charges related to TV interviews in which prosecutors allege he disseminated rumors and false news about the situation in Bahrain in a way "that undermines the prestige of the state."
The imprisoned activist has been denied adequate medical care and is being held with extremists, putting his life at risk, Christopoulos said Thursday.
His imprisonment was seen by rights groups as part of a yearslong crackdown on dissent that has seen all political opposition groups disbanded and activists jailed or forced into exile.
"We have received alarming credible reports about the reliability of the medical care afforded to Rajab and we have reasons to believe that his health conditions are not treated in a very good way," Christopoulos said at a press conference in Beirut.
"Our sources ... reveal that Nabeel's safety is at risk and we fear for his life," he added.
Rights groups say Rajab was hospitalized last year because of heart problems and ulcers.
Christopoulos said Rajab, a critic of Bahrain's regime as well as extremists, has been made to share a cell with detainees accused of belonging to the Islamic State group.
Rajab faces another trial and up to 15 years in prison on separate charges related to tweets he wrote about alleged torture in Bahraini prisons. He also took to social media to criticize Saudi regime's war on Yemeni nation.
