Interior Ministry: Qatar’s Al Jazeera channel violates good-neighbourliness principles

Manama, Mar. 11 (BNA): The Ministry of Interior today affirmed that the Qatari "Al Jazeera" channel’s targeting of the Kingdom of Bahrain and its people through incitement of violence, hatred and sedition among citizens aims to undermine stability, social cohesion and national unity, as well as violates the principles of good-neighbourliness. It also violates the fundamental law of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and is inconsistent with the principles of Al-Ula Summit declaration, the Ministry of Interior also said in its statement. The Ministry of Interior highlighted that the TV programme titled “Out of Context”, aired on the Qatari channel "Al Jazeera on March 7, is part of a channel's systematic policy to defame the Kingdom's human rights reputation. The programme contains fabricated and unrealistic allegations for violence incitement through statements of individuals who committed terrorist crimes that caused innocent people's death. Those statements remain without physical evidence to back them, which makes the channel the voice of terrorists and inciters. The Ministry of Interior stressed that Bahrain's reformation and rehabilitation centres are law enforcement authorities and correction centres, and they have never been places for investigation. Inmates serving their sentences at the centres have received fair and public trials. They have gone through all the judicial process and were convicted by the independent judicial authority based on physical evidence. Bahrain's human rights record is full with reformation and rehabilitation accomplishments and initiatives, including the alternative penalty law and the open prisons proposal. These initiatives reflect the commitment to human rights in approach and practice and promote Bahrain's position as a developed country in establishing regulatory and human rights institutions, such as the National Institute for Human Rights, the Prisoners and Detainees Rights Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman. The channel, sponsored by Qatar, is not in a position to criticise human rights policy in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Ministry of Interior stressed that the channel’s continuation of violence and sedition incitement is a crime against the media and communities for lacking credibility, affirming that it should be confronted with a firm stance to prevent the exploitation of freedom to support terrorism. The airing of defamatory shows and news primarily aim to hinder the implementation of Al-Ula Summit declaration. The programme contains alleged incidents dating back to 2015, and those in charge of the channel are still backing terrorist groups. Also, those who run the channel are unknown and are inconsiderate to the GCC region's traditions and stability because they don't belong to the GCC community. The Ministry of Interior warned of listening to the channel's fabricated news because they are against the GCC and national interests. Finally, the Ministry of Interior affirmed that Bahrainis had expressed their rejection and condemnation of the channel's aggressive approach that is sponsored and promoted by Qatar to harm social fabric. The channel's goal will not be achieved through national unity, and rallying behind the leadership of His Majesty the King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, praying to Allah the Almighty protect Bahrain, as well as its leadership and people from sedition.