Skip to main content

Congress weighs response to diplomat's expulsion from Bahrain

Talk of targeted sanctions on Bahrain bubbles up on Capitol Hill.
Tom Malinowski, the Washington advocacy director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), addresses a conference in Tripoli on December 12, 2009, attended by journalists, Western diplomats and families of the victims of a 1996 massacre by Libyan security forces of at least 1,200 prisoners. The New York-based HRW presented its report on Libya for the first time in the capital Tripoli, saying the north African country is making some progress on freedom of speech, eventhough a climate of repression remains. The report cam

WASHINGTON — US lawmakers are considering retaliatory measures against strategic ally Bahrain following the expulsion of the State Department's top human-rights envoy.

Senators of both parties on Tuesday expressed dismay at the news that Assistant Secretary of State Tom Malinowski was declared persona non grata after meeting with opposition activists. Lawmakers told Al-Monitor that they're reviewing their options, while democracy advocates expressed hopes that the incident would give a boost to their long-standing push for targeted sanctions such as visa bans and asset freezes.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.