Bahrain’s main opposition group, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, says the ruling Al Khalifah regime is exploiting the ongoing visit by Pope Francis to the Persian Gulf kingdom in order to cover up its gross human rights violations and repressive measures against democracy advocates.
Faraan: Al-Wefaq wrote in a statement published on its Twitter page that Bahraini authorities intend to take advantage of the trip in their favor, despite the fact that the situation of human rights, freedom of expression and political tolerance in the country is appalling and fairly critical.
It added that the Manama regime seeks to mask the extent of its oppression and religious discrimination, and this comes as prisons and detention centers across Bahrain are full of scholars, professors, elites and nationalist figures who are subjected to all forms of torture and humiliation. Families of jailed dissidents in Bahrain appeal to Pope Francis to speak out against human rights abuses perpetrated by the ruling Al-Khalifa regime during his upcoming trip to the Persian Gulf country.
Pointing to the cruel treatment of Bahraini officials toward the country’s most prominent Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim, Wefaq stressed that dozens of scholars, including top opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman, are currently being held behind bars, and hundreds of others are victims of political, religious, cultural, social, economic and security discrimination. The opposition group also highlighted that the Al Khalifah regime blatantly violates human rights and civil liberties, restricts freedom of opinion, religion and belief, categorically rejects any dialogue, and knows no boundary to punish and imprison dissidents.
Earlier, nine international human rights organizations urged Pope Francis to call for an end to human rights abuses in Bahrain and denounce injustice and repressive policies of the Al-Khalifa regime during his visit to the country.
