AI Urges Bahrain to Allow Protests

Local Editor

Amnesty International has called on the Bahrain government to allow peaceful protests in the tense country and stop violence against anti-government demonstrators.

The New York-based rights group said in a statement that themajority's main political bloc, Al-Wefaq, was denied permission to hold a demonstration planned for Thursday in Jablat Hibshi.

Recently, Bahrain has banned all rallies organized by opposition groups and responded with force when demonstrators attempted to defy the ban. Several protest leaders were injured at a June 22 demonstration.

Hundreds have been also arrested as part of pressure on protesters seeking a greater voice in Bahrain's affairs.

"Despite recent promises of reform and the guarantee of basic human rights, the authorities continue to violate the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly and have publicly announced that any gathering today would be illegal," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Program Director.

"Instead of continuing to arbitrarily deny the right to peaceful assembly on the grounds that traffic might be disturbed, the authorities must offer alternatives to allow political societies and the general population to peacefully exercise their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly," she stressed.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org