Bahrain: Widespread Reprisals against Activists Ahead of UPR

26 April 2017 – Bahraini authorities have initiated a new campaign of reprisals against political activists, human rights defenders, and other civil society actors ahead of the kingdom’s third cycle of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) beginning on 1 May 2017. We, the undersigned, strongly condemn the judicial harassment of[…]

USCIRF Categorizes Bahrain as a Tier 2 Violator of Religious Freedom

26 April 2017 – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has today released its 2017 Annual Report, categorizing Bahrain as a Tier 2 country for the first time “due to deteriorating religious freedom conditions.” Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) welcomes USCIRF’s continued documentation of religious discrimination in Bahrain[…]

A Summary of the UN Committee Against Torture’s Review of Bahrain

On 20 March and 24 March 2017, Bahrain was reviewed by the UN Committee Against Torture in Geneva, Switzerland. A Bahraini government delegation led by Assistant to the Foreign Minister, Abdulla bin Faisal bin Jabur al-Doseri, updated the UN Committee on Bahrain’s efforts to implement the Convention Against Torture (CAT), which it acceded to in[…]

US officials should seek assurances from NSA Ombudsman following reinstatement of arrest powers

In February 2017, members of the US Embassy met with the National Security Agency (NSA) Ombudsman’s Office. This is the first publicized meeting between US officials and the NSA Ombudsman since Bahraini authorities restored arresting powers to the NSA. A brief readout of the meeting stated that NSA Ombudsman received two political officers from the[…]

16 NGOs demand release of imprisoned photojournalist Sayed al-Mousawi

Today, sixteen NGOs sent a letter to King Hamad of Bahrain regarding the upcoming appeal hearing for photojournalist Sayed Ahmed Salman al-Mousawi. Bahraini authorities arrested and tortured al-Mousawi three years ago under terrorism charges, and a court sentenced him to ten years in jail after years of arbitrary detention and mistreatment. His April 23 appeal[…]