The Shura Council has expressed pride in the kingdom’s strides in the field of press and media freedom, praising the prestigious status reached by local newspapers as a result of the freedom of opinion and expression they enjoy.

The council asserted that the freedoms of opinion and expression are guaranteed by the Constitution, and are among the key pillars of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s landmark democratic project through which the principles of transparency, freedom of expression and right to access information have consolidated thanks to the continuous support of the government, led by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and the backing of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier.

In a statement marking the Bahrain Press Day, celebrated in Bahrain as per directives of HM King Hamad every May 7, the Shura Council lauded the values embedded in HM the King’s keynote statement on the World Press Freedom Day and the Bahrain Press Day, noting that the royal address contained advanced forward-looking vision to optimise the gains of Bahrain Press and its personnel and consolidate the legislative and legal environment for practicing journalism.

The statement also praised HM the King’s appreciation of the great role played by the Press and the columnists in Bahrain in countering the tendentious and smear campaigns aimed at undermining Bahrain’s security.

The Shura Council also paid tribute to the Press and media community in Bahrain, pledging that it will support the new Press Law once it is forwarded to it so as consolidate the role of the Bahraini press in defending the issues of the nation and the citizens transparently, in line with the leadership’s interest in journalism, and directives in this regard.