Bahrain: UN chief condemns dissolution of Al-Wefaq political party
| Publisher | UN News Service |
| Publication Date | 18 July 2016 |
| Cite as | UN News Service, Bahrain: UN chief condemns dissolution of Al-Wefaq political party, 18 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/578e3791185.html [accessed 5 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
18 July 2016 - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today deplores the dissolution of the main opposition political party in Bahrain, Al-Wefaq, and called for the resumption of an all-inclusive national dialogue aimed at peace and stability in the country and the region.
In a statement from his spokesperson, the Secretary-General called the dissolution of the political party “the latest in a series of restrictions of the rights to peaceful assembly, freedom of association, and freedom of expression in Bahrain.”
The Justice Ministry shut down the opposition group last week, accusing it of helping to foster violence in the Middle Eastern country.
In today's statement, Mr. Ban stressed that the dissolution of Al-Wefaq, similarly to other actions taken in the country – such as stripping Sheikh Issa Qassem and others of citizenship, a travel ban on human rights defenders, and the increased sentence for the Secretary-General of Al-Wefaq, Sheikh Ali Salman – risk escalating an already tense situation in the country.
