Updated

Activists are asking the United States to suspend a diplomatic visa for a Bahrain prince over allegations he tortured prisoners during the kingdom's 2011 Arab Spring protests.

Bahrain long has denied the allegations against Prince Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

The group Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain sent letters Wednesday to the U.S. State Department and Defense Department over their concerns about Prince Nasser.

Their letters come as Prince Nasser attended an event in September at the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center. Rabbis at the event said Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa told them the longtime boycott of Israel by Arab countries should end.

Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, has been cracking down on all dissent for more than a year now.