Don't fear the fugitives : Residents urged

Manama : Close on the heels of the inmates’ escape from the  Dry Dock Detention Centre in Muharraq Governorate on Friday night, lawmakers urged residents not to be intimidated by rumours circulated on social networks. 

In a telephone interview yesterday, Parliament’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee Head Abdulla Binhowail and member Jamal Buhassan called upon residents to ignore false news posted online and ensure they take it only from official and reliable sources.

The lawmakers’ statements came following the widespread messages on social media networks, mainly on WhatsApp and Facebook, warning of “dangerous” individuals, who escaped prison and threaten the lives of expats here.

The messages even instructed residents to stay at home, describing the escapees as “armed and extremely dangerous.” 

Binhowail said, “Bahrain is the country of tolerance and coexistence. Foreign communities are always welcomed here and their rights, dignities and liberties are protected.”

“We hope they (expats) understand the challenges faced by Bahrain, the enemies that are stalking it and the ambitious of countries like Iran in destabilising the Kingdom and the region. Hence, we urge them to be on vigilant of such rumours,” he said.

Meanwhile, Buhassan stressed on the ability of Interior Ministry to maintain peace and security of all. 

“Majority of the escapees was caught within three hours from the time they escaped, and the remaining ones will soon be thrown behind bars again. This proves the capabilities of our security forces. We’re continuously communicating with the Ministry. We were informed that these escapees are not dangerous criminals as what is being circulated online,” Buhassan explained.