Bahrain's King pledged to bring reforms and another demonstrator was on Saturday confirmed to have died in a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, as international calls mounted for restraint.
“I shall not allow a stop in the reform process which I began when I took the reins of power,” said King Hamad in a statement on the official BNA news agency.
“The door is open to all subjects that are in the interest of all the citizens,” he said.
A protester missing since Wednesday's crackdown in Manama on a month-old pro-democracy movement was on Saturday confirmed dead, an opposition MP said, bringing to at least five the number of protesters killed this week.
Police were posted outside the hospital, where doctors trying to help the injured protesters have allegedly been attacked. The government has denied the accusations.
Bahrain faces mounting international pressure to exercise restraint and ensure the safety of jailed opposition leaders. Overnight, the United States said it was “deeply troubled” by the arrest of several opposition figures.