MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th March, 2023) A prominent international human rights organization said on Friday that Bahrain had revoked the entry visas of two of its staff members going to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly.
Bahrain is hosting the 146th IPU Assembly from March 11-15 under the theme "Promoting peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies: Fighting intolerance."
"Its unilateral reversal of Human Rights Watch's access to the IPU conference is a blatant example of its escalating repression. Governments, organizations with influence, and key officials should speak out loudly against Bahrain's abuses so they are not complicit in its efforts to whitewash its horrific rights record," Human Rights Watch said.
Bahrain issued visas to two HRW staffers on January 30 but unilaterally revoked them on March 8 despite the watchdog's permanent observer status granting it right to access, according to the statement.
HRW acting executive director Tirana Hassan argued that Bahrain's hosting of this and other high-level international events is a "transparent attempt to launder its decades-long campaign to crush political opposition and suffocate the country's vibrant civil society."
Arbitrary detentions and other rights violations were made possible in Bahrain under the so-called political isolation laws enacted by its "autocratic government" in 2018, the watchdog said, adding that members of the IPU Assembly should live up to its organizational values.
