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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A prominent Shiite cleric in Bahrain who had his citizenship stripped by the island kingdom will be allowed to travel abroad for hospital care.
Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid Al Khalifa on Friday wrote on Twitter that King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had allowed Sheikh Isa Qassim to travel to the United Kingdom for medical care.
The minister wrote that King Hamad will cover all costs for the sheikh's treatment.
Sheikh Maytham al-Salman of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said in a statement that Qassim's injuries stem from a fall he suffered at home in Diraz, a town long surrounded by security forces.
Qassim could be deported at any time after authorities stripped his citizenship in June 2016 over accusations that he fueled extremism and laundered money. His supporters deny the allegations.
Sheikh Maytham al-Salman of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights said in a statement that Qassim's injuries stem from a fall he suffered at home in Diraz, a town long surrounded by security forces. Qassim also has been ill.
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