Pope Francis began his visit to Bahrain on Thursday evening - local time - with a call for respect for human rights.
The head of the Catholic Church also referred to the constitution of the Persian Gulf kingdom. There should be no discrimination and basic human rights should not be violated but promoted, he said.
Bahrain is often criticised for human rights violations, and before the 85-year-old pontiff, no pope had ever visited the Gulf state.
“I am thinking in particular of the right to life, of the need to always guarantee it, even with regard to those who are punished,” the pope said.
He was referring to the death penalty, which can still be imposed in Bahrain.
Referring to neighbouring Qatar, where the World Cup will begin later this month, he called for “humane working conditions” and condemned forced labour.
Both Qatar and Bahrain have come under fire for their treatment of foreign workers. The two extremely rich Gulf states are home to many migrants from South Asia, who work there for extremely low wages.
