MANAMA – Bahrain has urged foreign press and news agencies to verify their facts and follow objectivity while reporting and discussing Bahraini affairs.

Minister of State for Information Affairs and government spokesperson, Samira Ibrahim bin Rajab, in a statement on Wednesday emphasised the continuity of reformation and modernisation in Bahrain and backed the national consensus dialogue as part of implementation of BICI’s recommendations.

The minister rejected acts of violence against expatriate workforce under the pretext of peaceful demonstrations or justifying such acts under false slogans.

The minister, in a letter to The New York Times and The Herald Tribute, denounced reports published by Nick Kristof dated December 22 and 24 that contained false allegations regarding events surrounding his detention.

The minister also pointed out that he had been denied entry into the Kingdom because he failed to submit an official application so as to obtain a media-related entry visa in line with the regulations applicable to all journalists regardless of their nationality similar to regulations applicable in the United States.

The minister pointed out that the Information Affairs Authority (IAA) sent a letter of protest to the Associated Press (US-Incorporated) regarding reports compiled by its reporter in Bahrain, Reem Khalifa, and published on December 8.

The reports, it said, included a purposeful stark falsification of a speech of the Saudi Arabian deputy foreign minister during the Manama Dialogue, which is tantamount to a gross breaching of professional ethics, honesty and truthfulness as stipulated under the Press Law and all international conventions.

The Information Affairs Authority reserves its right to pursue necessary legal action, it added.

shamada@khaleejtimes.com