Bahrain Opposition Visit to Europe starts this week

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - A delegation from the Bahrain National Democratic Opposition Societies has travelled to London to begin a week-long tour of major European Cities, that will see them visit France, Germany and Belgium, as well as the UK.The delegation includes the Secretary General of Waad Society, Sayed Radhi Almoosawi, Secretary General of The Progressive Democratic Tribune, Abdulnabi Salman, as well as Abduljalil Khalil and Ali Alaswad from Al Wefaq National Islamic Society. Sheikh Ali Salman, Secretary General of Al Wefaq, was also due to join the delegation, although the arbitrary decision by the Bahraini authorities to ban him from travel has prevented him joining the delegation.The delegation met yesterday with officials from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in addition to members of Parliament from the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee and the Group on Human Rights. It was the Foreign Affairs Committee who recently criticised the pace of reform in Bahrain during its Inquiry into UK relations with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.Today, the delegation will be In Berlin to meet with Officials in the Foreign Ministry, as well as seeing the Foreign Office in Paris on Thursday.On Wednesday they will be visiting the main centre of the European Union, Brussels, where they will meet with officials from the European External Action Service that is headed by Baroness Catherine Ashton. A special meeting of the European Parliament Sub-Committee on Human Rights will also be hosting the delegation to discuss the latest situation and prospects of reform.The visit is aimed at drawing attention to the current situation in Bahrain and also to work with our international partners in efforts to consolidate a serious and meaningful dialogue process that can lead to genuine democratic reform./129