Bahrain Mirror: The Bahraini Interior Ministry accused the Qatari authorities of attempting to recruit Bahraini military and security personnel, according to a statement it published on Sunday night (September 26, 2021) in its response to the "Zero Distance" program, aired by Al-Jazeera, which revealed violations against dozens of children held in Dry Dock Prison.

"The aggressive defaming campaigns against Bahrain through the Qatar-sponsored Al-Jazeera channel are systematic and are staged at particular times. The campaigns include a broadcast by Al-Jazeera of an alleged conversation between Bahraini youth and one of the Interior Ministry's personnel," the ministry said in a statement.

"Along with frequent allegations of torture and of visit prevention against inmates, it referred to the youth as "imprisoned children." The intensity of incitement against Bahrain intensifies during the annual assembly of the Human Rights Council in Geneva."

The ministry said that the approach adopted by Al Jazeera Qatar to incite people and buy their souls and conscience and to use aggressive practices that violate international conventions as part of the campaign against Bahrain and its people is blatant. The broadcast by Al Jazeera claimed it was about an attempt to recruit a Bahraini youth, while it has been proven by evidence beyond any doubt, how Qatar has been attempting to recruit Bahraini military and security personnel.

The ministry denied the existence of any prisoner of conscience and said in its statement that "those at the Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre in Jaw serve their sentences in criminal and terrorist cases after going through all judiciary phases and fair trials."

Arabic Version