Bahraini regime criticized over detentions

An international rights group criticizes Bahrain’s Al Khalifa regime for suppressing journalists critical of the ruling elite, urging Manama to end the harassment and legal proceedings against them.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement released late on Tuesday that it had documented cases of two journalists who died while in police custody and many others being detained or tortured in Bahrain since the beginning of anti-government protests in mid-February.

""Bahrain's government has a responsibility to protect journalists from those who resort to threats of violence, intimidation, or fabricated criminal charges to influence coverage,"" said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Mohamed Abdel Dayem.

""The government should halt the smear campaign in pro-government publications against critical journalists,"" he added.

CPJ said in its statement that it “has documented dozens of cases of journalist detentions in Bahrain the death in custody of two journalists ... and a large number of physical assaults against reporters.""

The statement added that in the most recent move against journalists critical of the government, Bahrain's public prosecutors summoned local journalist Reem Khalifa over accusations that she has hit a woman among pro-government supporters during a news conference held by an Irish delegation investigating rights abuses against Bahraini medics.

Khalifa, who has denied all the accusations, said she did not hit anyone and was only trying to take a camera away from a woman who was haranguing and filming her.

She added that she was trying to interview a member of the delegation but was repeatedly interrupted by a small group of pro-government medical practitioners, who followed and taunted her.

CPJ said the charges against Khalifa appeared to be fabricated and criticized pro-government newspapers and official Bahrain News Agency for describing her as an assailant.

The rights group has also criticized Bahraini authorities for giving lengthy prison terms to bloggers and for shutting down the country's premier independent daily al-Wasat.

(Source: Press TV)