UAE calls Swiss Ambassador over Bahrain human rights statement

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Sunday the Swiss Ambassador to denounce a report made by Switzerland before the UN Human Rights Council on human rights situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

State news agency WAM said the UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation for Legal Affairs, Abdul Rahim Al-Awadhi has summoned Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE, Maya Tissafi to express his country’s “denunciation” over the Swiss statement last week against Bahrain at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

“It was better if such issues were resolved through established bilateral channels between Bahrain and Switzerland,” Al-Awadi is reported to have told Tissafi.

He added that the Swiss statement has ignored Bahrain steps to promote human rights issues.

Al-Awadhi informed Ambassador Tissafi that the security and stability of Bahrain is integral to security and stability of the UAE, “and such statements give a pretext for committing destructive and terrorist acts”.

The Gulf Cooperation Council has strongly condemned on Saturday the Swiss report slamming the “accusations and distortions” regarding the situation of human rights in Bahrain.