Bahrain has taken steps to ban the main opposition party and transfer many civilian judicial cases to a military court, in what appears to be a new crackdown on dissent and human rights. Theresa May visited Bahrain only three months ago as part of a drive to deepen UK military and trading links. The Gulf state, led by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, has been repeatedly accused of curtailing freedoms of expression, association and assembly. The change will allow civilians to be tried by military courts if the case involves the military. “Red lines are now being crossed in Bahrain, yet the British government refuses to endorse a balanced motion at the human rights council criticising Bahrain,” Alwadaei said.

Source: The Guardian March 06, 2017 15:57 UTC