Al Jazeera pursuing coordinated incitement campaign: Bahrain Interior Ministry

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Qatari-state-owned Al Jazeera is siding with people wanted on terrorism charges and untrustworthy sources to create inciting reports against Bahrain, said an Interior Ministry statement. “Their methodology also includes repeat broadcast of statements by European parliamentarians, who are ignorant of the reality of the rights situation in the Kingdom, which were proved wrong by the Kingdom earlier,” Interior Ministry said.

The statements quote European Parliamentarians alleging their concern over the human rights situation at the Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre in “Jau” and demanding the release of specific names, claiming they are “prisoners of opinion”. The inciting reports are circulated widely for the past few days by state-run Al Jazeera Channel, the ministry said, adding that the Security Information Centre at the Interior Ministry is keeping a close eye on their activity.

The statements, the ministry said, are based on untrustworthy sources, are repeatedly aired by Al Jazeera to undermine the gains of Bahrain amid the exceptional circumstances. “This aggressive campaigns against Bahrain has nothing to do with the slogans the channel uses for media consumption.’ Ministry pointed that there is nexus between Al Jazeera and people who claim to works in the right field but are culprits on the run from the judicial system.

Some of them are involved in terrorism cases, the ministry said, adding that their statement completely ignores the reality of the rights situation here.

The statement also fails to see the measures Bahrain ensures in the Correction and Rehabilitation centres to protect the health and safety of the inmates regardless of their jail terms.

The parliamentarians speak volumes about the right conditions here, are, in fact, ignorant of the situations of thousands of inmates in their countries, the ministry said. These statements are then immediately aired by Al Jazeera to target the accomplishments of Bahrain.

These countries, as per general notion, the ministry points out, achieved a reasonable level of progress and rights protection status. “However, the outbreak is prevailing at an alarming rate in their prisons.” “Meanwhile, Bahrain is vaccinating all its citizens and residents free of charge and is now close to vaccinate half of the total population,” the ministry said. “In the correctional facility, all of those who had registered are vaccinated.”

The ministry also confirms that there are no existing cases of coronavirus inside the Correction and Rehabilitation Centre. Protocols and procedures are in place to deal with the possibility of future incidents. The ministry also reiterated that the Correction and Rehabilitation centre is open to agencies and rights authorities at all times.

“The National Institution for Human Rights, the General Secretariat of the Ombudsman, the Prisoners and Detainee Rights Commission and others are carrying out announced and unannounced visits to ensure the inmates of their rights.” Interior Ministry said that the facts are in stark disagreement with the alleged media neutrality of the Qatari Al Jazeera Channel.

“Its media policy targets others and their accomplishments while it does not discuss anything related to Qatari Affairs.” On this note, the ministry also pointed out that the inciting campaign between Al Jazeera and its supporters won’t affect Bahrain and its people and leadership.