Bahrain Moves to Reform Kafala, Exclusions Remain

Last week, the Bahrain government announced a new flexible work permit that would allow migrant workers to act as their own sponsor. The new permit is unprecedented as it’s the first mechanism of its kind in the Gulf designed to dismantle the kafala system of sponsorship-based employment, which tethers migrant workers to their employers and[…]

A Midterm Report on Saudi Arabia’s UPR Second Cycle: Analyzing Saudi Arabia’s Refusal to Reform

16 June 2016, Washington DC – Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and the Bahrain Institute for Rights & Democracy (BIRD) are pleased to announce the release of A Midterm Report on Saudi Arabia’s UPR Second Cycle: Analyzing Saudi Arabia’s Refusal to Reform. Over the last several years, Saudi Arabia has pursued a larger[…]

State Department Commemorates 5th Anniversary by Calling for More Reforms

On 17 February, the US Department of State (DoS) issued a statement commemorating the fifth anniversary of Bahrain’s pro-democracy uprising in 2011 when “Bahrainis from all backgrounds called for political reforms that would bring greater respect for their universal rights and fundamental freedoms.” In particular, the DoS acknowledges that though Bahrain has created institutions to “improve oversight of security institutions…more work[…]

Event Summary: “Bahrain’s Stalled Path to Reform”

On 16 November 2015, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) hosted a panel discussion at the US Capitol entitled “Bahrain’s Stalled Path to Reform.” The event coincided with the release of ADHRB’s newest report, Shattering the Façade: A Report on Bahrain’s Implementation of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) Recommendations Four[…]

Shattering the Facade: A Report on Bahrain’s Implementation of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI)

16 November 2015 – Washington, DC – The Bahraini government has only fully implemented two, and has not made any progress on eight of the 26 recommendations made by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) in 2011, finds a new report released today by Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), the[…]