Prominent Bahraini activist goes into exile in Denmark

Zainab Al Khawaja is the daughter of well-known activist Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, who himself is serving a life sentence over his role in the kingdom’s Arab Spring protests.

Bahraini activist Zainab Al Khawaja, left, gestures while being arrested by police officers in Eker, Bahrain, on October 21, 2012. Hasan Jamali, File/AP Photo
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A prominent Shiite activist in Bahrain said on Saturday she had left the country after recently being freed from prison.

Zainab Al Khawaja is the daughter of well-known activist Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, who himself is serving a life sentence over his role in the kingdom’s Arab Spring protests. The demonstrations saw members of Bahrain’s Shiite majority and others demand more political freedom from its Sunni rulers.

In a series of messages on Twitter, Zainab Al Khawaja said she had left the country. Her family confirmed she had taken two children to Denmark, where she also has citizenship.

The “regime that thinks exile means moving us away from our land should know, we carry #Bahrain in our hearts wherever we go,” she said.

Al Khawaja was detained on March 14 and faced three years in prison on charges related to her participation in anti-government protests, including tearing up pictures of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Bahraini authorities said they released Al Khawaja, who was held in prison with her toddler son, Abdulhadi, on May 31 because of her “humanitarian situation”.

Al Khawaja said Bahrain was preparing to file new charges against her that would have made her detention “indefinite”. Manama did not immediately comment on Al Khawaja leaving the country.

* Associated Press, with additional reporting by Agence France-Presse