Bahrain agrees to visit by UN human rights mission

[News_Editor]

Bahrain agrees to visit by UN human rights mission

2011-06-08 02:48:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations human rights office on Tuesday announced that the government of Bahrain agreed in principle to a visit by a UN human rights mission in the country

The UN mission will look into the alleged human rights violations in relation to the recent pro-reform protests in the country, but no date was set. Bahrain is one of several nations in the Middle East and North Africa that have been rocked this year by protests calling for increased freedoms and democratic reforms.

The agreement came last Friday when the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay met with Bahrain’s acting health minister Fatima bint Mohammed Al Balooshi in Geneva.

"The mission has been accepted in principle by the Bahraini Government but no dates have yet been set," said Rupert Colville, spokesperson for Commissioner Pillay. "They also discussed a number of other issues related to the demonstrations, including the need for transparent independent investigations into the human rights violations."

The government's crackdown on protesters has reportedly killed at least 20 people. The violence of the Bahraini security forces on peaceful protesters has drawn international criticism, including from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Social unrest began after protesters called for a "Day of Rage" on February 14 to mark the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter, which returned the country to constitutional rule after the 1990s uprisings.

Initially, people took to the streets to demand reform and the introduction of a constitutional monarchy, but later they began to call for the removal of the royal Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa family, which has ruled the country for almost 40 years. According to

Bahraini government, the number of people in detention was listed at 400, but the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said it reports indicate that more than 1,000 people were arrested and over 50 over remain unaccounted for.

The Middle Eastern country has been ruled by a 200-year-old Sunni dynasty. However, two-thirds of Bahrain's population is Shiite.

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