Bahrain Mirror- Exclusive: The British Morning Star daily said that "Britain must stop "lending cover" to human rights abuses in Bahrain, Amnesty International said yesterday as it published a new report on the Gulf kingdom." The organization warned of a "disastrous decline" in Bahrain's human rights situation, saying that families have been targeted by the authorities after their relatives protested peacefully in London.

Amnesty slammed the British government for failing to investigate the reprisal attacks and whitewashing of abuses by the regime. It has written to Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt demanding answers.

The organization said Bahrain continues to crush dissent, with a violent crackdown on protests against the government that killed six people - including a child - along with mass arrests, the torture of detainees and the elimination of free expression.

Despite this, the British government's latest assessment on human rights in Bahrain refers to a "mixed picture," with praise for the country's "progress on its reform agenda."

But Amnesty points to a "disturbing development" after Bahraini authorities targeted the family of prominent government critic Sayed Ahmed Al-Wadaei, who lives in exile in Britain.

Hours after a peaceful protest in London during a visit by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa last year, his wife and young child were arrested in Bahrain, with interrogators making specific reference to his presence at the London demonstration.

Amnesty director Kate Allen said the people of Bahrain felt betrayed by the British government.

She called on the kingdom to allow representatives of the United Nations and human rights organizations into the country. "There's been a disastrous decline in human rights in Bahrain over the past year, but you'd never know it from the UK's rosy pronouncements on Bahrain," Allen said.

She said Britain needs to wake up to the reality of what is happening in Bahrain and must go beyond so-called "quiet diplomacy" to speak out against the regime's human rights abuses.

The newspaper said that the Foreign Office had not responded to the Star's request for comment at the time of going to press.

Arabic Version