Bahrain Mirror-Exclusive: Transparency International today called on the government of Bahrain to lift its travel ban on anti-corruption and other civil society activists including the current and former chairs of the anti-corruption group's chapter Bahrain Transparency Society. It also called on the government of Bahrain to show its support for civil society, to stop the harassment of activists and to uphold the commitments the government of Bahrain has made in the past to protect civil society.

Transparency asked the government to reaffirm this commitment by rescinding the travel bans affecting activists and by guaranteeing the safety of those who speak out when they see corruption and injustice.

This week the Chair of Bahrain Transparency Society, Sayed Sharaf Almosawi, was prevented from leaving Bahrain while attempting to travel abroad. Several weeks ago Abdulnabi Al-Ekry, the former Chair of the Bahrain Transparency Society and a current member was stopped from traveling outside the country without explanation.

Transparency International strongly condemned the intimidation and harassment of anti-corruption activists and human rights defenders amid reports of activists being stopped from traveling outside the country.

Bahrain ratified the UN Convention against Corruption in 2010.

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