There is no information on the physical and medical condition of Sheikh
Qassim, Saeed al-Shehabi, the leader of the London-based opposition group
Bahraini Freedom Movement, said, the Arabic-language Bahrain al-Youm news
website reported.
No one is aware of his treatment process at the hospital in London and it seems
the hospital is different from the one that doctors had advised, he said.
Those who went to the airport in London were unable to see Sheikh Qassim,
Shehabi said, adding that they were not allowed to visit the cleric even in the
hospital.
Sheikh Qassim, who had been under house arrest for more than 400 days, left
Manama for treatment in London on Monday.
The cleric, in his late 70s, was stripped of his Bahraini nationality in 2016
on charges of "serving foreign interests".
He was allowed to fly out of the country using a temporary passport -- valid for
one year -- issued on the orders of Bahrain's king, his aides said.
Bahrain's foreign minister tweeted on July 6 that the country's monarch had
ordered the "facilitation of travel" for the cleric to seek treatment abroad.
The Bahraini king also offered to cover the cost of "any treatment required",
the minister added.
That is while those close to Sheikh Qassim, who has played a leading role in
protests against Bahrain's monarchy, said the issue of payment had not yet been
decided, and it was up to the Sheikh to accept or reject the king's offer.
Sheikh Qassim's health has for months been a point of contention between
authorities and the Qassim family, who long refused the government's offer to
transfer him to a local hospital over fears he could be detained and deported
should he leave his residence.
Bahraini security forces had extensively surrounded the house of Sheikh Qassim
in Diraz and placed him under house arrest sine over 400 days ago.
Bahrain, a close ally of the US in the Persian Gulf region, has been witnessing
almost daily protests against the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty since early 2011,
with Manama using heavy-handed measures in an attempt to crush the
demonstrations.
Scores of Bahrainis have been killed and hundreds of others injured and arrested
in the ongoing crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations.
Source: Tasnim