Bahrain Suspends Major Opposition Newspaper

Bahrain has suspended the publication of a major opposition newspaper on Sunday, accusing it of fabricating reports regarding the sectarian unrest and the recent government crackdown against the protests. According to the official Bahrain News Agency (BNA), Al Wasat newspaper has been suspended.

The agency said this newspaper “adopted an approach of lying, slander, fraud and plagiarism.” The newspaper misled the readers and the disseminated of incorrect and fabricated news and images.

Mansour al-Jamri, editor of Al-Wasat newspaper said it was unclear whether the publishing license of the newspaper will withdraw or not.

Jamri added that the newspaper staff worked in harsh conditions and that employees were subjected to physical assaults and threats.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council gathered in Riyadh on Sunday evening for an emergency meeting, devoted to the discuss the “Iranian interference”, in light of the escalating tensions with the Shiite neighbor against the backdrop of events in Bahrain and Kuwait, which announced the discovery of an Iranian spy network.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, arrived in Riyadh to participate in this meeting.

For his part, Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday said that the current tensions between Iran and Gulf states is “a result of Western and Zionist plot.” The ministry said in a statement: “We advise governments in the region to listen to the demands of their people in order to prevent such plots.”