WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States must respond to harassment of human rights defenders by its ally Bahrain in order to further the fight against violent extremism, Human Rights First said in a statement.
“These arrests fuel instability and unrest, hindering the ability of Bahrain to be a reliable ally in the fight to counter violent extremism in the region. Washington needs to start taking action by making clear to Bahrain that targeting civil society will result in negative consequences for the bilateral relationship.”
Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was summoned to a police station on Thursday, according to the statement. He previously spent two years in jail and was most recently charged in connection to tweets that were critical of the state’s intelligence service.
Washington has close relations with Bahran, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
