Assault on Ambassador to UK in London condemned
Formal procedures are being undertaken in the case of the recent assault on the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the United Kingdom, it was learnt.
Speaking to DT News following the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday, Parliament and Information Affairs Minister Isa bin Abdulrahman Al Hammadi informed that “the matter wasn’t discussed at the meeting”.
However, speaking on the sidelines of the post-Cabinet press conference in Gudaibiya Palace, the minister confirmed that “the matter comes within the jurisdiction of the Foreign Affairs Ministry,” adding that “the ministry is surely following official procedures in this regard.”
This was a reply to a query about the government’s stance towards the recent harassments witnessed by the Bahraini Ambassador in London, Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, by a group of individuals.
The assault was documented through a video clip that was later posted in YouTube and was disliked by a large number of social media users in Bahrain.
In the footage, it was shown that the group came across the ambassador, who was walking in the streets of the British Capital.
They verbally assaulted him and even got involved in a physical conflict with the guards of the ambassador.
Shaikh Fawaz didn’t reply to the insults, instead he smiled and continued walking.
The act was highly condemned by many Bahrainis, who expressed on local social media networks that such behaviour by the members of the so-called opposition who are residing abroad should be ended and the people responsible for the act should be held legally accountable.
Unacceptable Activities
Commenting on the matter a few days earlier, the newly- appointed British Ambassador to Bahrain Simon Martin said “this kind of activities are unacceptable.”
During his first meeting with the local press on Thursday, the ambassador said, “We strictly follow the Vienna Convention in this regard and will ensure that diplomats in Britain are safely performing their duties without being subjected to any assault.”
“In my personal opinion, those individuals deliberately harassed the Bahraini ambassador, especially after they uploaded the footage to the Internet. I’m sure my colleagues in London will ensure that the ambassador will smoothly carry on his duties in Britain,” he stated.
Trigger: Channel closure
DT News was informed yesterday that “the people behind the assault were those who worked and operated the recently-shutdown UK-based channel that incite violence.”
Foreign Affairs, National Security and Defence Parliamentary Committee Head Abdulla Binhowail confirmed, “These harassments was a result of the closure of the UK-based TV channel Bahrain Al Youm, which was recently shutdown by the British authorities.”
“These are terrorist channels that threaten Bahrain’s national security, promote terrorist activities and seditious acts among people in other countries,” Binhowail said.
He commended the stance of the British Government.
“We hope the British government would be precise towards such extremist channels that operate from Britain. We thank the British Ambassador for his statements and it is a good step in the right path, and we support the fair and balanced procedures taken by the British Government in this regard.”
The lawmaker added that “the safety of the Bahraini Ambassador in London must be ensured.”
DT News reported last Tuesday that the British authorities shutdown Bahrain Al Youm channel that operated in London after several complaints rose against the channel, which allegedly harassed the staff and visitors at the Bahraini Embassy in London.
Binhowail revealed last week that the channel was operated and funded by people who are wanted for criminal charges in Bahrain and are sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment after their citizenships have been revoked.
Photo Caption: A screenshot of the video that was widely circulated by social media users in Bahrain, showing Shaikh Fawaz smiling at on of the individuals who harrased him, before he walked away.
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