UK condemns arrest of Bahrain politician

The UK Foreign Office will discuss the case of a Bahraini politician, who was arrested for criticising Prince Charles’ visit to the Gulf, with the Bahraini government.

Last week Bahrain’s Cyber Crime Directorate accused Sharif of defaming the Kingdom when he criticised the British Prince of Wales’ visit whist giving an interview to an American news outlet. Sharif said Prince Charles’s trip to the Gulf state fuels human rights abuses perpetuated by the government.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said: “We are concerned by the charges brought against Ebrahim Sharif, and we will be raising these concerns at a senior level with the Bahraini government.”

The American government has also expressed its concern.

The US State Department’s Director of Press Relations Elizabeth Trudeau said: “no one anywhere should be prosecuted or imprisoned for engaging in freedom expression, even when that expression is critical. Any charges against Sharif on that basis should be dropped.”

Bahrain is notorious for its crackdown on freedom of speech. Journalists, academics and even citizens who speak out against the government have been systematically arrested and even tortured for their dissent.