WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Sunday released the following statement during his visit to Bahrain where he met with the family of Nabeel Rajab, a human rights activist who is in prison for being critical of the Bahraini government: 

“America should be a consistent voice for democracy and human rights, which is why I went to visit Nabeel Rajab’s family in Bahrain. Advocating for the freedom of expression must be an element of every bilateral relationship, which is why I raised his case, along with the broader need to protect open civil discourse, with Bahraini government officials I met with in Manama,” said Murphy. 

On Friday, Murphy traveled to the Middle East where he spoke about U.S. policy and alliance relations in the Middle East at the Manama Dialogue. He also met with leaders from across the region and U.S. officials who handle Middle East policy, and visited the United States Fifth Fleet.  

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