MP slams US remarks on Ali Salman’s case

Manama: A lawmaker yesterday condemned the US statements on the recent verdict issued by a Bahraini court against Al Wefaq Islamic Society General Secretary Ali Salman.

MP Jamal Buhassan, who is also a member of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee, lambasted the US State Department’s statements against the judicial system in Bahrain.

“Such abusive statements negatively affect the US-Bahraini relations. It’s a blatant interference by their side in the domestic affairs of Bahrain,” Buhassan commented.

The parliamentarian warned of the repetition of such statements, which “disregard international norms that forbid interfering in internal affairs of other countries”.

He stressed on the credibility and independency of the judicial system in Bahrain, adding that it’s not affected by any political conflicts.

Buhassan’s statements came in response to US State Department Official spokesperson John Kerby, who claimed that “Salman was imprisoned because of his participation in peaceful expression of speech
and gathering.”   

Kerby’s statements were also slammed by Foreign Affairs Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, who said on Twitter, “The language used in Kerby’s statement is closer to a method used by a non-governmental organisation than being a proper diplomatic language.”