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Bahrain expels Reuters correspondent

Bahrain said on Tuesday it was expelling Reuters' correspondent in the Gulf archipelago, Frederik Richter, after officials complained Reuters had lacked balance in its reporting during the recent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

Richter, who joined Reuters in 2007 and has been based in the capital Manama since 2008, was told to leave within a week.

“Reuters regrets Bahrain’s decision to expel its correspondent,” editor-in-chief Stephen Adler said. “We stand by Frederik Richter’s reporting and we will continue to provide comprehensive and unbiased coverage from the country.”

An official at the Information Affairs Authority, Sheikh Abdullah bin Nezar al-Khalifa, said: “We have no problem with Reuters. We’re not closing the office and (Reuters) can send in a replacement.”

Popular protests across the Arab world have put authoritarian rulers under pressure, leading many to impose curbs on the media. In recent weeks Reuters correspondents have been expelled from Syria, Libya and Saudi Arabia.

 

Witness: Expelled from Bahrain, a nation now in fear ■

SOURCE
Reuters