Act Daily News
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A US citizen detained in Jordan is looking on the US authorities to demand his return to the United States and launching a starvation strike to protest his imprisonment.
Bassem Awadallah, a twin US-Jordanian citizen, was arrested in April 2021 and sentenced to fifteen years in jail on prices of incitement in opposition to the state and sowing sedition in connection to an effort Jordanian authorities allege was led by Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein to “destabilize” the dominion. Representatives for Awadallah known as the costs “fabricated,” and Hamzah has denied the allegations.
Awadallah, a former Jordan finance minister, is launching a starvation strike to name consideration to his “unjust imprisonment” and urging each Biden administration officers and Republican lawmakers in Congress to advocate his launch, his US lawyer Michael Sullivan stated in an announcement launched by representatives for Awadallah.
“The U.S. Government should make it clear to King Abdullah and his government that continued support depends on Jordan’s commitment to human rights especially when it concerns the rights of U.S. citizens,” Sullivan stated.
“It is our hope that the new Republican leadership of the House of Representatives will seek answers from the Biden Administration on what steps are being taken to secure Bassem’s release,” he added.
Awadallah’s starvation strike comes weeks after Siamak Namazi, an American wrongfully detained in Iran, went on a seven-day starvation strike in an try to induce President Joe Biden to push for his launch. Namazi has been detained in Iran since 2015. During his starvation strike, a US National Security Council spokesperson stated the administration remained “committed to securing the freedom of Siamak Namazi and we are working tirelessly to bring him home along with all US citizens who are wrongfully detained in Iran, including Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz.”
Awadallah can also be a former adviser to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Act Daily News has beforehand reported that shortly after his arrest, Saudi Arabia despatched a delegation to Jordan headed by Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Both the Saudi and Jordanian governments have denied that the assembly was associated to Awadallah’s arrest.
The assertion from Awadallah’s representatives stated he has been subjected to “physical, psychological and emotional torture” whereas detained in Jordan and has spent his total 22-month detention in solitary confinement. A State Department report from 2020 stated worldwide and native organizations have reported incidents of torture in detention facilities in Jordan.
Act Daily News has reached out to the State Department for remark.
Source: www.cnn.com