After Opposition\u2019s Withdrawal, U.S. Urged to Declare its Position on National Dialogue in Bahrain
\nFor Immediate Release: July 19, 2011<\/p>\n
Washington, D.C.\u2014The U.S. government should immediately and publicly declare whether it still supports the Bahraini government\u2019s National Dialogue after the country\u2019s main opposition party, Al Wefaq, has officially withdrawn, said Human Rights First today.<\/p>\n
\u201cA wide range of human rights defenders in Bahrain told us last week the dialogue is cosmetic, and the U.S. government is losing credibility by being associated with it,\u201d said Human Rights First\u2019s Brian Dooley, who just returned from a fact finding mission in Bahrain. \u201cEven as the dialogue sessions meet, the Bahraini government continues to shoot at civilians, detain opposition members, torture human rights defenders and intimidate all those who speak out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last week, Human Rights First released a new report on the continuing human rights crackdown in Bahrain. The report is based on eye-witness testimonies and in-country interviews with human rights defenders, and includes recommendations for the U.S. and Bahraini governments.<\/p>\n
The complete report and recommendations can be found here.<\/p>\n
\u201cHuman rights defenders told us the Bahraini government must rebuild community trust before any dialogue can be real,\u201d added Dooley. \u201cThey argue that the U.S. government has influence it can use in persuading the Bahraini government to take necessary confidence-building steps. These steps include: stopping all violence against peaceful protesters, ending the abuse and torture of all detainees \u2013and giving them medical attention and visits from their families\u2013and releasing all political detainees and members of the opposition. It\u2019s time the U.S. government uses that influence.\u201d …more<\/a><\/p>\n