Foreign Secretary comments on recent events in Bahrain
Foreign Secretary William Hague says Bahraini Government should move quickly to carry out commitments to transparent investigations into recent events and any alleged human rights abuses.
Commenting on events in Bahrain, the Foreign Secretary William Hague today said:
“I am alarmed by reports of soldiers firing on protestors in Bahrain. This is an extremely worrying development. The circumstances of what happened are not yet clear, but I call on the Bahrain authorities to avoid violence and the use of excessive force and to exercise restraint. The right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly must be respected. The Bahraini Government should move quickly to carry out its commitments to transparent investigations into recent events and any alleged human rights abuses.
I welcome the proposal of the King of Bahrain that the Crown Prince should initiate a dialogue between the different communities. Bahrain should take further steps on reforms that meet legitimate aspirations for greater social and political freedoms.”