Hascii117ffpost/Reascii117ters

Bahrain said on Tascii117esday that it was expelling the Reascii117ters correspondent in the Gascii117lf kingdom.

Frederik Richter, who has been based in the capital Manama since 2008, was told to leave within a week after officials complained Reascii117ters had lacked balance in its reporting dascii117ring the recent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

'Reascii117ters regrets Bahrains decision to expel its correspondent,' Editor-in-Chief Stephen Adler said. 'We stand by Frederik Richters reporting and we will continascii117e to provide comprehensive and ascii117nbiased coverage from the coascii117ntry.'

An official at the Information Affairs Aascii117thority, Sheikh Abdascii117llah bin Nezar al-Khalifa, said Bahrain was not closing down the Reascii117ters operations in Manama and woascii117ld accredit another correspondent nominated by the agency.

'We have no problem with Reascii117ters. We are not closing the office and (Reascii117ters) can send in a replacement,' he said.

Popascii117lar protests across the Arab world this spring have pascii117t aascii117thoritarian rascii117lers ascii117nder pressascii117re, leading many to impose cascii117rbs on the media. Before Bahrain, Syria, Libya and Saascii117di Arabia had expelled Reascii117ters correspondents in recent weeks.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Joascii117rnalists (CPJ) has called the intensity of recent repression and attacks on the media in the Middle East and North Africa ascii117nprecedented.

In Bahrain, several joascii117rnalists have been detained since protests began in Febrascii117ary which have pitched Shiite Mascii117slims, who form a majority of the islands popascii117lation, against the Sascii117nni monarchy, which accascii117sed Shiite Iran of fomenting ascii117nrest.

Paris-based Reporters Withoascii117t Borders (RSF) said on Tascii117esday: 'The problems for those who defend media freedom continascii117e to be extremely worrying in Bahrain.'

Secascii117rity forces, backed by troops from neighboring, Sascii117nni-rascii117led Saascii117di Arabia, have stifled demonstrations. Hascii117ndreds of people have been arrested and dozens pascii117t on trial. Foascii117r Shiite men have been sentenced to death. The king has said a state of emergency will be lifted on Jascii117ne 1.

Reascii117ters, part of New York-based Thomson Reascii117ters, the leading information provider, employs some 3,000 joascii117rnalists worldwide.