Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has denied that prominent human rights campaigner Mohammed al-Bajadi, who has been detained for a year, is on hunger strike.
The Saudi Association for Civil and Political Rights (ACPRA) said had refused food for a month and that his health was deteriorating.
Bajadi had stopped drinking water on Saturday and fainted, it added.
But interior ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki said Bajadi had not been on hunger strike and was “in good health”.
Bajadi was arrested by domestic intelligence agents in Qassim province on March 21, 2011, after a small group of Saudis demonstrated in the capital, Riyadh.
They called for the release of thousands of people detained without charge or trial on suspicion of involvement in “militant activity”.
The human rights activist was later charged with instigating demonstrations, membership of an unlicensed association, supporting the pro-democracy protests in neighbouring Bahrain, and possession of prohibited books.
Judges have prohibited Mr Bajadi’s lawyers from attending his trial at the Specialised Criminal Court, a state security tribunal for terrorism cases.
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