Bahrain quickly releases US journalists, but local reporters remain imprisoned

On Sunday February 14, Bahraini authorities arrested four American journalists including Anna Therese Day during the protests that marked the fifth anniversary of the 2011 mass pro-democracy uprising. Bahraini authorities detained them “as a result of their involvement in criminal acts, and because one was concealing his face at the time of his arrest.” Authorities[…]

Bahraini Foreign Minister: no political prisoners in Bahrain, only imprisoned terror convicts

In an interview with RT Arabic, Bahrain’s Foreign Affairs Minister denied media reports stating there are political prisoners in Bahrain. He said that Bahrain does not have a policy of “silencing voices” and that “there are no prisoners of conscience in Bahrain.” Foreign Affairs Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa asserted, “Those who have been[…]

One Week Until Trial of Salim al-Aradi and the al-Darats in the UAE

Next Monday, on 15 February, Salim al-Aradi is due to appear before an Emirati court along with three other Libyan nationals, including the Libyan-Americans Kamal and Mohammed al-Darat. After months of delay, the Emirati government finally disclosed the prosecution file on al-Aradi and the other defendants, which accuses them of providing support to the Libyan[…]

Bahrain and Russia favor “people’s right to decide their own fate”

In a high-level meeting between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Bahrain’s King Hamad al-Khalifa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that in regards to the conflicts in the Middle East, both countries “assert the people’s right to decide their own destiny.” During the meeting, both heads of state discussed the ongoing situation in Syria, and[…]