Bahrain said to summon US envoy after meeting with local rights activists

23 February 2022, 8:43 pm

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Bahrain has summoned US Ambassador to Manama Steven Bondy after the envoy met with local human rights activists shortly after handing over his credentials to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa earlier this month, Axios reports.

The activists highlighted the difficulties faced by Bahraini civil society along with government crackdowns and Manama’s use of the death penalty, the local Delmon Post reported.

Bahrain’s interior minister subsequently issued a statement accusing Bondy of interference in internal affairs.

Bahrain is sensitive to Western engagement with its civil society groups, particularly after US backing of such forces in 2011 during the Arab Spring.