Opposition member:

British royals’ visit may ‘whitewash’ Manama crimes

Rasa - A Bahraini opposition leader has warned that a recent visit by a British royal couple to Bahrain could serve to “whitewash” an ongoing brutal crackdown by the Manama regime on political dissent.

News ID: 424953

Date: 11 November 2016 - 16:28

RNA - Ebrahim Sharif, of the opposition Waad Party, said on Friday that he hoped Prince Charles and his wife, who recently visited Bahrain, advised the Bahraini leadership to respect human rights.

“The government may listen” to Manama’s British ally, he said.

Sharif said Bahrain's opposition wanted freedom, constitutional monarchy, and proportional representation in the government, adding that the opposition was “flexible and realistic” in its demands.

The prince of Wales and his wife, the duchess of Cornwall, ended a seven-day tour of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman on Friday.

During the stay in Bahrain, Prince Charles opened a permanent British military base in the Persian Gulf country.

The visit came amid continued human rights abuses by regime officials there.

People in Bahrain have been protesting against the Al Khalifah regime since early 2011. The protesters say they will continue to protest until their demands for the establishment of a democratic government are met.

Bahraini regime forces have been carrying out a brutal crackdown on the anti-regime protesters with help from Saudi and Emirati forces.

Many prominent opposition leaders are languishing in jails, and scores of protesters have been killed and many others gone missing since the beginning of the regime crackdown.

There has been much international outcry from rights groups over the regime’s brutal crackdown.

Bahrain is a close regional ally of the UK and the US.

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