By IRNA,
London : The British government has stepped up its call on Bahraini authorities to act in accordance with the law and to meet international standards for the treatment of detainees as human rights groups expressed growing concern about the security crackdown.
“Although the immediate situation appears calmer, there continue to be many credible reports of human rights abuses,” Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a new statement.
“The arrests of opposition figures, the reports of deaths in custody, allegations of torture and the denial of medical treatment, are extremely troubling,” said Hague, who has faced criticism for failure to clearly speak out in support of the uprising in Bahrain as he has in other Arab countries.
On Thursday, Amnesty International said Bahrain’s allies must take “stronger action to address the rapidly worsening human rights crisis” in Bahrain, saying international pressure was needed now to halt the spiralling human rights crisis.
A new report by Physicians for Human Rights also called for an international investigation into the use of ‘excessive force’, revealing that at least 32 medics are among those arrested since protests began.
In his statement, Hague said he was also concerned about the Bahraini government’s move to investigate prominent licensed, political opposition parties, which may face suspension,
“I urge the government of Bahrain to meet all its human rights obligations and uphold political freedoms, equal access to justice and the rule of law. Events across the Middle East have shown that governments need to respond with reform and not repression,” he warned.
“I encourage the Bahraini Government and leaders of both communities to show real leadership in promoting tolerance and to demonstrate a shared commitment to the future of Bahrain.”
In the case of Libya, Britain joined France and the US intervening militarily to protect civilians, calling for regime change and support the setting up of a rebel National Transitional Council to take over.
It also offered virtually no support for former Tunisian president Ben Ali and Egyptian president Hosni Mubrack before they were ousted from power amid a wave of pro-democracy protests, despite previously been close allies to the former leaders.