The BFHR in cooperation with the KRC in an oral intervention at the Human Rights Council: Failing to end the normalization of relations with the authority that occupies the Palestinian territories means that the promotion and protection of human rights announced by the government will be in the Israeli way of unlimited increase of violations and repression.

https://www.bfhr.org/article.php?id=1160&cid=21

The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR), in cooperation with the Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture (KRC), made an oral intervention during the adoption of the Universal Periodic Review outcome of Bahrain at the Human Rights Council today, March 24, 2023.

The intervention was made by the BFHR's Chairman, Baqer Darwish, in which he said: Even though the Bahraini authorities failed to take real measures to stop the targeting of human rights defenders, as revealed by the authorities’ use of the Pegasus program to spy on activists, they have progressively normalized Bahraini relations with the Israeli occupation authorities, especially in the security aspects, despite their involvement both in broad human rights violations. We point out here that failing to end the normalization of relations with the authority that occupies the Palestinian territories means that the promotion and protection of human rights announced by the government will be in the Israeli way of unlimited increase of violations and repression.

The following is the full intervention:

Mr. President,

Despite the fact that Bahraini government officials have constantly reiterated their intention to implement the large number of UPR recommendations made to Bahrain, the state's media and diplomatic speech has been accompanied by constantly increasing political repression.

While the Minister of Foreign Affairs declares that the promotion and protection of human rights is a priority, the government has not taken any serious step towards radical human rights reform and the achievement of transitional justice through a serious dialogue leading to constitutional consensus. Rather, the government has exaggerated in eliminating the essence of some rights, as is the case with freedom of political action. In fact, more than 100,000 citizens became politically isolated in light of the dissolution of the opposition societies, namely: Al-Wefaq, Wa’ad, and Amal. In addition, opposition figures, including the Secretary-General of Al-Wefaq, Sheikh Ali Salman, are still imprisoned, unfair trials are ongoing, death sentences are not abolished, and citizenships are not restored.

As a result of increasing the policy of impunity, which provided protection for those involved in the torture of thousands of victims since the seventies or the arbitrary detention of more than 20,000 Bahraini citizens since 2011, prisoners of conscience continue to send complaints about the deterioration of prison conditions.

Even though the Bahraini authorities failed to take real measures to stop the targeting of human rights defenders, as revealed by the authorities’ use of the Pegasus program to spy on activists, they have progressively normalized Bahraini relations with the Israeli occupation authorities, especially in the security aspects, despite their involvement both in broad human rights violations. We point out here that failing to end the normalization of relations with the authority that occupies the Palestinian territories means that the promotion and protection of human rights announced by the government will be in the Israeli way of unlimited increase of violations and repression.