7 July 2014
In response to the Government of Bahrain’s decision to expel U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Tom Malinowski, Freedom House released the following statement:
“The decision to declare Mr. Malinowski ‘unwelcome’ in Bahrain is unwarranted and wrongfully prevents him from doing what he’s supposed to be doing, which is meeting with human rights advocates to understand the full picture of what is going on in Bahrain,” said Charles Dunne, director of Middle East and North Africa programs at Freedom House. “The government claimed Malinowski’s meetings with certain Shi’a parties and organizations defied conventional diplomatic norms and constituted sectarianism, allegations that are completely false. The government’s decision shows just how much it wants to hide on the human rights front.”
Bahrain is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2014, Freedom of the Press 2014, and Freedom on the Net 2013.
To learn more about Bahrain, visit:
Freedom in the World 2014: Bahrain
Freedom of the Press 2013: Bahrain
Freedom on the Net 2013: Bahrain
SLIDESHOW: Bahrain: Three Years after the Pearl Revolution
Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of freedom around the world, and advocates for democracy and human rights.
http://freedomhouse.org/article/bahrain-expels-us-assistant-secretary-state#.U7ztFFYk-hN