Pro-democracy activists campaign to #freeAlKhawaja

Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, co-founder of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, has been on a hunger strike for the past 16 days to call attention to the detention of human rights activists in Bahrain. Many people have taken to the streets and online to raise awareness about Al Khawaja’s hunger strike.

Last year, Bahraini authorities charged him with trying to overthrow the government, and on June 22, Al Khawaja was sentenced to life in prison.

He is the father of pro-democracy activist Zainab Al Khawaja, who was recently detained for allegedly taking part in an “illegal gathering” during the anniversary of Bahrain’s February 14 protests. She was released a week later.

Here are some highlights of the online conversation: