Press TV has interviewed author and political commentator Naseer al-Omari to talk about Saudi Arabia’s role and support for the crackdown on peaceful anti-regime protests in Bahrain.

Below is a rush transcript of the interview.

Press TV: Now, the rights abuses and repression taking place in Bahrain against the population has been taking place for a while and is nothing new. However, this condemnation by 16 rights organizations… how far do you think this is going to go?

Omari: Well, it should go far enough to prevent the Khalifah regime from going against the whole country that is under occupation right now. The Saudi intervention in Bahrain is an occupation and we see the world paying attention to what is happening in Ukraine, but we have a similar situation, even worse. We have an occupation in this country by Saudi Arabia and oppression of people who have for three years now demanded their rights.

This is the majority of the Bahraini people. These people have demonstrated in a peaceful manner for three years now and if something doesn’t happen soon, in terms of giving the Bahraini people the right to govern themselves, I think that there will be a radicalization of this peaceful movement.

Press TV: Mr. Omari, on Friday in London, a conference will be held that will celebrate Bahrain as a country of religious freedom and tolerance. Its key speaker will be the Duke of York, Prince Andrew. What do you make of that? How do you interpret that?

Omari: This is absolutely shameful and it’s reminiscent of the sword dance that Prince Charles did in Saudi Arabia at the graves of the Saudi people who have tried to have their political rights taken from the Saudi family. Again, these democracies in particular, one of the oldest democracies in the world, the British democracy should be ashamed of itself for turning a blind eye to the toppling of the Bahraini people who have so far demonstrated peacefully when the Khalifah regime goes after activists, strips people who were born in Bahrain of their nationality, exiles them. This is really ridiculous and to see Prince Andrew involved in this is really a shame.

Press TV: Mr. Omari, of course, the Bahraini regime has been spending a lot investing in a public relations campaign basically to set its image in the rest of the world’s eyes, and it is working really hard to present this image that everything has returned back to normal in Bahrain and we saw that as far as the Formula One Grand Prix went as well. How do you see that impacting public opinion and the pressure on the Al Khalifah regime?

Omari: I think it’s useless, and on the long run, the Bahraini revolution is one of the most powerful and rightful revolutions in the Middle East. We are not talking about a small minority of people that are demanding rights. We are talking about an overwhelming majority of people in Bahrain demanding representation. So, these tactics will not pay off and I believe the Bahraini people will stand up; and knowing the Bahraini people and having been in contact with so many of them, through social media, I know that this revolution will not end and I know that there are tough people in Bahrain who will withstand and stand for their rights.

SZH/HJL