Charlie Gard’s parents claim Great Ormond Street hospital’s treatment has been ‘inhuman’ as they release new bedside picture

CHARLIE Gard's parents claim he is a "prisoner" in hospital after they were barred from taking their dying boy to the US for experimental treatment.

The desperately ill tot's mum and dad lost their case at the Court Of Appeal last week meaning doctors can now begin to withdraw life support treatment.

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But Chris Gard and Connie Yates have blasted Great Ormond Street Hospital as "inhuman" for the treatment they have given the nine-month-old.

The couple are set to ask the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling handed down last Thursday.

They added that they are prepared to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg if needs be as they fight for their boy's life.

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His mum Connie, 31, said:  "We have had our parental rights stripped away as if they don’t matter at all.

"The way we have been treated by doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital has been inhuman.

"Our son is basically being kept as a prisoner at the hospital."

Connie and Chris have raised £1.3 million to take the tragic tot to the US to undergo experimental treatment for mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome.

But Great Ormond Street Hospital said the boy is too ill. A spokesman said: "We listen to and respect the views of every parent whose child is in our care but our duty is always to act in the best interests of the child.

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"We will continue to support and co-operate with Charlie’s parents as best we can at this difficult time."

Last week Lord Justice McFarlane, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Sales, who analysed evidence at a Court of Appeal hearing in London, upheld the ruling handed down in the High Court.

Lord Justice McFarlane praised Charlie's parents' composure and dignity and said: "My heart goes out to them."

Richard Gordon QC, who led Charlie's parents' legal team, told the three appeal judges earlier this week that the case raised "very serious legal issues".

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"They wish to exhaust all possible options," Mr Gordon said in a written outline of Charlie's parents' case.

"They don't want to look back and think 'what if?'.

"This court should not stand in the way of their only remaining hope."

Mr Gordon suggested that Charlie might be being unlawfully detained and denied his right to liberty.

He said judges should not interfere with parents' exercise of parental rights and added: ''What is really at stake in this case is the State, on a massive scale, intruding in your right to private and family life.''

Lawyers, who represented Charlie's parents for free, said Mr Justice Francis had not given enough weight to Charlie's human right to life.

They said there was no risk that the proposed therapy in the US would cause Charlie ''significant harm''.

Last month the parents lost their previous court battle to keep their baby boy alive.

The couple, of Bedfont, west London, to take the youngster to the US for pioneering treatment that could extend his life.

A family friend told the Daily Mail: “They will fight to the bitter end, they won’t give up. They love that little boy and while there’s still some hope they will carry on.”

The couple said they were “devastated” by the decision and were struggling to understand why the judge didn’t give him the “chance of treatment”.

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