Brussels, 20/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 19 September, the EU said it was concerned about the latest developments in Bahrain, “including the opposition coalition's decision to suspend its participation in the national dialogue on 18 September”. Michael Mann, the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, recalled that “an inclusive national dialogue is an essential prerequisite for rebuilding trust and achieving genuine national reconciliation through gradual confidence building steps”.
Learning of the arrest of Khalil al-Marzouq, the deputy secretary general of the opposition association al-Wafiq, for inciting terrorist acts, the EU called on the authorities to substantiate the “grave accusations” against him, and “to ensure a due and transparent investigation”. The EU also condemned the recent occurrences of violence and called again on all parties to refrain from inciting violence and to reject it unequivocally in all its forms. “We also call on the authorities to abide by the National Assembly's recommendation that basic liberties, particularly freedom of opinion, should not be affected to maintain a balance between law enforcement and human rights protection”, Mann stated. (CG/transl.fl)