Bahrain denies restricting press freedom

Bahrain on Saturday claimed reports of restrictions on access to information, arrests, delays in decriminalising press offences and online censorship were not an accurate representation of press freedom in the Gulf state.

Authorities were responding to the findings of a report by Reporters Without Borders, in which the press freedom advocate detailed numerous instances during the last year where journalists' rights had been restricted.

"The points discussed by the report do not match the reality of journalism in the kingdom," said Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, assistant under-secretary for press and foreign affairs at the Ministry of Information, quoted the official Bahrain News Agency.

Sheikh Abdullah said the ministry had taken several steps to promote press freedom in the kingdom.

He said a free press was considered a crucial part of the democratic reforms the kingdom was implementing.

Sheikh Abdullah said he hoped future reports would depict the realities of press freedom in Bahrain more accurately.

Despite the criticism, Sheikh Abdullah said Bahrain was keen to work with Reporters Without Borders to boost press freedom and the rights of journalists, as well as improve the standard of reporting in the kingdom.

In its 2008 annual report, released in February, Reporters Without Borders highlights complaints by journalists in Bahrain about how hard it is to access official information and report on social unrest.

The report also details the arrest of journalists from Iranian TV station Al-Alam as they reported on a demonstration in front of United Nations offices in the capital Manama.

Scores of websites dealing with religion or politics were blocked by the authorities in 2007, the report says, with more than a dozen journalists, bloggers and webmasters arrested.

Bahrain was ranked 118th out of 169 countries in Reporters Without Borders' Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007. Out of the Gulf states on the list on Saudi Arabia (148) was ranked lower.

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