Bahrain is a US Ally in the Middle East, where the US 5th Fleet is based. However, since February 2011, when the Arab Spring spread to Bahrain, its government has been engaged in the repression of its people and the suppression of any dissent. The US should be committed to supporting the right to free expression, including dissent, for its allies around the world.
The US should:
- Call for the immediate release of all detained human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience in Bahrain.
- Increase the pressure on the Government of Bahrain to stop the on-going daily human rights violations as well as the escalated attacks against human rights defenders.
http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/5571
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/26/opinion/bahrain-a-brutal-ally.html