By Geoffrey bew
Published: 9th December 2007
A HUMAN rights activist has hit out at the US Embassy in Bahrain for failing to approve his visa application in time to attend a conference in the US.
The Washington-based American University’s Centre for Democracy and Election Management had invited Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) member Abdulnabi Al Ekri to a five-day event about general elections.
He was supposed to have left last night to make it in time for the conference, which starts on Monday, but said no decision on his application had been made.
By Geoffrey bew
Published: 9th December 2007
A HUMAN rights activist has hit out at the US Embassy in Bahrain for failing to approve his visa application in time to attend a conference in the US.
The Washington-based American University’s Centre for Democracy and Election Management had invited Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) member Abdulnabi Al Ekri to a five-day event about general elections.
He was supposed to have left last night to make it in time for the conference, which starts on Monday, but said no decision on his application had been made.
Mr Al Ekri said he included a copy of the invitation letter with his application, which cost $100 (BD37), the day after he received it on November 6.
He told the GDN that he cancelled his participation in another conference in Athens to take part in the US event and also had to take time off work.
“I am very angry about this,” he said.
Mr Al Ekry said he raised the matter with US Ambassador Joseph Adam Ereli yesterday but did not receive a satisfactory explanation. He said the envoy told him that all applications are processed in Washington and can take up to four months to be approved—————————-
? Gulf Daily News
