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Bahrain declares senior U.S. diplomat persona non grata

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski was declared persona non grata by Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

By JC Finley
Tom Malinowski, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, in an undated official photo. (State Department photo)
Tom Malinowski, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, in an undated official photo. (State Department photo)

MANAMA, Bahrain, July 7 (UPI) -- Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski persona non grata on Monday.

The Bahrain News Agency reported that the foreign ministry decided to PNG Malinowski because "the U.S. official intervened flagrantly in Bahrain's internal affairs and held meetings with a particular party to the detriment of other interlocutors, thus discriminating between one people, contravening diplomatic norms and flouting normal interstate relations."

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Although BNA did not name the "particular party" the senior U.S. official met with, it was likely al Wifaq, Bahrain's largest opposition political party. The government of Bahrain suspended national dialogue talks with al Wifaq in January.

A response from the State Department was not immediately available.

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