Bahraini Authorities Prevents Entry of Human Rights Watch Activist

Rasa - The Bahraini regime refused entry visa to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) activist scheduled to attend the annual FIFA congress in the country.

News ID: 429586

Date: 11 May 2017 - 23:18

RNA - HRW’s Israel-Palestine Director Omar Shakir stated that he was prevented from entering the small Persian Gulf state with his US passport, Al Waght reported.

The human rights officials was interrogated at the country’s Manama airport on the aims of his visit before being denied entry.

This move came after the Al Khalifa regime came under sharp criticism for inviting an Israeli regime delegation to attend a FIFA conference in the country slated for Thursday.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, 12 Bahraini-based human rights institutions condemned the planned visit.

The activists noted that Bahraini rulers were hosting a delegation of the Israeli regime which has over decades been trampling upon the rights, integrity, and the lives of the Palestinian people.

Al Khalifa regime, which is also repressing a popular uprising at home, is hosting the Israeli delegation during FIFA’s 67th Congress that is held in the Bahraini capital of Manama on May10- 11.

In their statement, the Bahraini-based rights groups also called on the leadership of regional countries not to forget or undermine the Palestinian issue.

Last October, the President of the Bahrain Football Association (BFA), Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said Israeli Football Association (IFA) was allowed to attend the FIFA conference after green light from the country’s monarchy.

Bahrain, just like Saudi Arabia, has been publicly warming up to Israel after years of clandestine ties.

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