Irish doctors have planned to stage a hunger strike in solidarity with their Bahraini colleagues.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/197967.html
This comes after over 200 Bahrainis imprisoned for participating in anti-government protests went on hunger strike, according to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR).
Press TV has interviewed Tara O'Grady, an independent human rights advocate from Dublin, to share her opinion on this issue.
Press TV: When is the Irish medical staff going to start their hunger strike and what is the reason behind this move?
O'Grady: Well, we know that the king's decree has been overruled and the detained are once again facing military court tribunals. Obviously, it seems they are guilty until they are proven innocent. We are adding our voices to insist that they be tried in civilian courts.
Press TV: What about the average Irish person? How knowledgeable are they about the situation, the crackdown, that is taking place in Bahrain. What exactly do they know?
O'Grady: Well, the regime is controlling so much propaganda that is coming out of Bahrain that it is difficult to have true media representation internationally. They know very little really over here unless you are involved with either teachers' organizations, your students or you are involved in the medical community. Predominantly the people, the average every day civilian does not really know about what is happening in Bahrain because the media is so controlled and too many media groups who do know and governments are silent on the issue and it is of no benefits to the people of Bahrain to be a silent witness.
Press TV: And what about the new coverage itself, [that] you mentioned a bit, in Ireland and UK general. Has there been any coverage about the solidarity hunger strike?
O'Grady: Yes, a little today. Really it was literally 24 hours ago that the proposal was put together to have a solidarity fast by Professor Fitzgerald and Professor Damien McCormack who are both affiliates of medical colleges and some frontline defenders who are joining us. Literally within 24 hours there has been a lot of people coming on board with it and international attention we have: doctors in the UK, the United States and France who are joining this strike also.
Press TV: What type of impacts you think could come about from this move?
O'Grady: Well, We understand that Jalila al-Salman and Roula al-Saffar's release can be considered a successful hunger strike and we are hoping to achieve some level of success by supporting the detainees in the only way that we open to us this solidarity fast. We are not diplomats or international parliamentarians. We are merely a group of doctors, nurses and civilians hoping that our voices would be heard and really we wish to say no more martyrs.
