Al-Wasat editor described the decision as "harsh and shocking" but said he hoped to try to reverse the measure. Al-Wasat, while an independent newspaper, is seen as supporting the views of the opposition. Western-allied Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based, crushed mass protests by the Shi'ite majority in 2011. Al-Wasat, founded by private investors in 2002, was briefly closed in 2015 and the government cited similar reasons then. It was also briefly shut in 2011 following anti-government protests and its senior staff were removed and prosecuted.

Source: bd News24 June 05, 2017 06:00 UTC