The Prince sent his regrets to Prince Charles on Sunday stating that he will not be attending the wedding of Charles' son Prince William to Kate Middleton.
British media have criticised the wedding invitation to Bahrain's crown prince because of the violent reaction in his country against protesters calling for more freedoms.
The crown prince of Bahrain said in his letter to Prince Charles that he delayed sending his regrets in hopes that the situation in the Gulf nation would improve and leave him able to attend.
The Bahraini government has imposed martial law and invited troops from mainly Sunni-led neighboring states to help quell the uprising by mostly Shi'ite protesters.
Bahraini officials said earlier this month that 24 people have died in the unrest. Amnesty International said last week that the government had arrested more than 500 people over the last month.
During the 2011 pro-democracy revolution, the Crown Prince, in public statements aimed at the western media (and in in talks with the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, William Hague) claimed to have made contact with representatives of all of the country's political parties, including the main Shia opposition parties. As the deputy commander of the defense forces, he claimed to have ordered the army off the streets.
As events transpired, however, the Crown Prince either directly ordered or was unable to prevent the army from taking over a hospital, destroying the symbolic Pearl Roundabout, and implementing a violent crackdown on essentially non-violent pro-democracy protesters. These actions have earned the Crown Prince a series of condemnations ranging from those of Amnesty International through The Obama Administration.
Rather than actually address the legitimate democratic aspirations of those living in Bahrain, the Crown Prince, in concert with the Royal Family, have reaffirmed their hard-line commitment to a monarchical system, and have declared a three month "state of emergency" intended to undermine and stifle the popular opposition.
During the 2011 pro-democracy revolution, the Crown Prince, in public statements aimed at the western media (and in in talks with the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, William Hague) claimed to have made contact with representatives of all of the country's political parties, including the main Shia opposition parties. As the deputy commander of the defense forces, he claimed to have ordered the army off the streets.
As events transpired, however, the Crown Prince either directly ordered or was unable to prevent the army from taking over a hospital, destroying the symbolic Pearl Roundabout, and implementing a violent crackdown on essentially non-violent pro-democracy protesters. These actions have earned the Crown Prince a series of condemnations ranging from those of Amnesty International through The Obama Administration.
Rather than actually address the legitimate democratic aspirations of those living in Bahrain, the Crown Prince, in concert with the Royal Family, have reaffirmed their hard-line commitment to a monarchical system, and have declared a three month "state of emergency" intended to undermine and stifle the popular opposition.
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