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DUBAI, June 4 (Reuters) - Bahrain on Sunday suspended the country's only independent newspaper indefinitely over a column that insulted a "sisterly Arab country", state news agency BNA reported, the second time the publication has been banned this year.
The al-Wasat daily is associated with the mainly Shi'ite Muslim-led opposition, which has been facing a crackdown by the Sunni Muslim-led government since last year.
BNA said the information ministry decided to stop al-Wasat from being printed or circulated until further notice for "repeating the publication of ...that which spreads divisions in society and affects the Kingdom of Bahrain (vis a vis) other countries." It said the decision came over a column published on Sunday which it said contained insults to an Arab country, but it did not say which one or give further details.
(Writing by Sami Aboudi; editing by Mark Heinrich) ((Sami.Aboudi@thomsonreuters.com; +97143918301;))
The al-Wasat daily is associated with the mainly Shi'ite Muslim-led opposition, which has been facing a crackdown by the Sunni Muslim-led government since last year.
BNA said the information ministry decided to stop al-Wasat from being printed or circulated until further notice for "repeating the publication of ...that which spreads divisions in society and affects the Kingdom of Bahrain (vis a vis) other countries." It said the decision came over a column published on Sunday which it said contained insults to an Arab country, but it did not say which one or give further details.
(Writing by Sami Aboudi; editing by Mark Heinrich) ((Sami.Aboudi@thomsonreuters.com; +97143918301;))
