Bahrain Mirror: The Tom Lantos Commission on Human Rights in the United States Congress held on Friday a hearing to discuss the deteriorating human rights situation in Bahrain.

This comes in light of the escalating crackdown by the Bahraini regime in recent months, against human rights defenders and opposition political leaders. Among the major aspects to call for this meeting are the revocation of Al-Wefaq Society, and accusing prominent human rights activist Nabeel Rajab of "insulting the prestige of the Kingdom" after a letter written by him was published in the New York Times.

Among the witnesses presenting the seminar are Director of the Human Rights Defenders program at Human Rights First Brian Dooley, Director of the Human Rights Watch Washington office Sarah Margon, former Bahraini MP Matar Matar, and Deputy Director of the Project on Middle East Democracy Cole Bockenfeld.

The hearing tackles a range of topics including repression and its consequences on the reconciliation in Bahrain, and the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Fact-Finding Commission, in addition to the human rights situation in Bahrain. It also discusses the House Representative Jim McGovern's call on Bahrain to release Sheikh Ali Salman. The recent developments and their repercussions on both Bahrain and the United States will be analyzed, and thus the meeting suggests recommendations regarding the Congress policies in the context of the global effort to combat violent extremism.

The meeting was open to the Congress deputies, staff, interested public, as well as the media. The hearing was broadcasted live on the Commission's official website.

Arabic Version