Bahrain Mirror- Exclusive: The famous US journalist, Nicholas Kristof, called on the king of Bahrain to arrest himself "for he damages the image of Bahrain far more than human rights activist Nabeel Rajab ever did."

Kristof appeared live on Facebook, commenting on the authorities' accusations against Rajab, represented in undermining the prestige of the state and its stature, based on a letter for Rajab published in New York Times.

Kristof opened the live service on Facebook and contacted the embassy of Bahrain in Washington, the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations and Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask Bahrain officials about why they prosecuted an activist for writing an NYT op-ed. Kristof, however, couldn't reach any of the officials.

In a first official reaction to the new charges brought against Rajab, Washington expressed through the State Department spokesperson Mark Toner its deep concern about the new charges, calling on Bahrain to drop all the charges against Rajab and release him immediately.

The new charges against Rajab stirred up the New York Times that wrote the following day an editorial in which it condemned Bahrain's punishing dissidents, accusing the US of giving a green light to Bahrain to oppress dissidents through lifting a partial weapons ban for Bahrain, crediting the government with making "meaningful progress on human rights reforms and reconciliation."

Arabic Version