British royals’ visit may ‘whitewash’ Manama crimes: Opposition member

A Bahraini opposition leader has warned that a recent visit by a British royal couple to Bahrain could serve to “whitewash” an ongoing brutal crackdown by the Manama regime on political dissent.

Ebrahim Sharif, of the opposition Waad Party, said on Friday that he hoped Prince Charles and his wife, who recently visited Bahrain, advised the Bahraini leadership to respect human rights.

“The government may listen” to Manama’s British ally, he said.

Sharif said Bahrain's opposition wanted freedom, constitutional monarchy, and proportional representation in the government, adding that the opposition was “flexible and realistic” in its demands.

The prince of Wales and his wife, the duchess of Cornwall, ended a seven-day tour of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman on Friday.

During the stay in Bahrain, Prince Charles opened a permanent British military base in the Persian Gulf country.

The visit came amid continued human rights abuses by regime officials there.

SS