Manama, November 28 (BNA) The Bahrain Journalists Association condemned the arrest of two Qatari officials, two Norwegian journalists, for their coverage of the treatment of foreign workers before the 2022 World Cup.
The Qatar Journalists Syndicate said that it considered that such practices refute the allegations of the authorities in Qatar that they respect the freedom of the press and media and allow journalists to practice their work without any restrictions or intimidation.
In a statement, the Syndicate of Journalists stressed that Qatar prosecuted and punished journalists who tried to cover the grave violations committed by the Qatari authorities against foreign workers who were used to build World Cup facilities in an attempt to hide the violations that claimed hundreds of workers.
The Syndicate of Journalists added that the violations are well documented in the reports of the United Nations and international human rights organizations.
The Society, the umbrella group for Bahraini journalists, condemned the Qatari authorities’ repressive practices against the press and journalists and the restrictions imposed on freedom of opinion and expression.
Among the blatant issues restricting freedom of opinion is the imposition of a blackout on the Al-Murra tribe’s protests against discrimination and the arrest of a number of its members amid complete silence by the Qatari media, especially Al-Jazeera, which often demands freedom. coverage of events.
The union called on international organizations concerned with freedom of opinion and expression to reject such Qatari repressive practices, which are not the first of their kind.
The association drew attention to how Norway and some other countries affirmed their rejection of these Qatari practices and the necessity of Qatar’s commitment to freedom of opinion and expression and to provide the appropriate atmosphere for journalists to perform their duties.
And the Journalists Syndicate expressed its solidarity and support for these calls and positions that enhance freedom of opinion and expression.