23rd December 2012

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Protests Shake Bahrains City
Bahraini opponents who demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman al Khalifa, clashed with police forces in the city of Diya, witnesses stated today. According to sources, thousands of people marched chanting slogans calling for the resignation of the head of government and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. Popular protests in the kingdom, led by members of the majority Shiite community, began in early 2011 and since then at least 80 people have died in clashes with police and troops sent by Saudi Arabia to quell opposition outbreaks, according to statistics. Read More Khalifa!' and waving Bahraini ags. The Shi'ite opposition in the tiny Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom is led by al-Wefaq, which wants a government of technocrats to rule in a transition leading to a constitutional monarchy. Since February last year, Bahrain has been shaken by opposition protests that the authorities accuse of being exploited by Shi'ite Iran across the Gulf. Read More

Bahrain Welcomes European Delegation, Not Delegates Calls to Free Dissidents

As The Lede reported on Wednesday, a delegation from the European Parliament visited Bahrain this week to discuss human rights, just as the kingdom jailed a rights advocate for documenting a protest on Twitter. Bahrains state news media presented the visit as evidence that the kingdom is committed to human rights.

One report showed the delegates meeting withthe head of an ofcial human rights organization established by royal decree, another their brieng by the royal who oversees the police force on human rights reforms that have been implemented within the interior ministry. What the countrys ofcial news agency did not report, however, is that the head of the delegation, Inese Vaidere of Latvia, called for the release of all prisoners of conscience currently being detained for their role in the protest movement. Read More

Bahrain protesters demand PM resignation

Thousands of protesters have demanded the removal of Bahrain Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa. They said the demonstrators marched in the village of Diya near the capital Manama, chanting 'Resign,