News / Interviews

US backing a murderous regime in Bahrain: Commentator

Thursday, 28 May 2015 9:58 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 28 May 2015 9:59 AM ]

A Bahraini protester covers his mouth and nose as riot police fire tear gas during clashes in the village of Jidhafs, west of Manama, in solidarity with the victims of an ISIL bomb attack in a mosque in Saudi Arabia, May 23, 2015. (© AFP)

Press TV has conducted an interview with Colin Cavell, a former lecturer at the University of Bahrain, to discuss a letter by prominent Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab urging Western countries to break their silence on the atrocities of the Manama regime in Bahrain.

This is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Certainly, it was quite a strong statement by Rajab.

Cavell: Certainly is, but all Mr. Nabeel Rajab, the head of Bahrain’s Center for Human Rights, is doing, Waqar, is the telling truth. He is telling the truth about the duplicity of the United States, which claims to the American people that it supports democracy but on the field in the rest of the world they support autocratic dictatorships, murderous regimes like the Al Khalifa regime in Bahrain, which tortures people, which murders people, which imprisons anyone who speaks truth to the situation in Bahrain.

Press TV: And you’ve obviously spent some time on the ground in Bahrain, Mr. Cavell, when we see the Western media and those advertisements of Bahrain being business-friendly on CNN and etc., it seems that we’re living in the twilight zone almost, that there are two different realities in Bahrain. Is that something that you experienced as well?

Cavell: Absolutely, every Formula One holiday in April, the Bahraini regime would claim that they are business-friendly; but the rest of the year, they spend their time sending their troops out to go and arrest people, to beat them up, to torture them and to kill anybody who speaks against the regime.

They are a murderous, torturous regime and the United States continues to arm them, supply them with money and supply them with intelligence. It is duplicity on a massive scale.

Press TV: And finally, Mr. Cavell, from what you know of the Bahraini people themselves, how strong are they and will they be able to weather the storm, if I may call it that?

Cavell: Mr. Waqar, from my experience with the Bahraini activists, they are very strong, they have been in opposition to this Al Khalifa monarchy for decades now, and they are going to continue the struggle until victory.

HRM/HJL

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk