Unlawful Measures: Detained Clerics Deliberately Humiliated Before Meeting with Their Lawyers

Update: Twenty Clerics Refuse to Meet with Their Lawyers in Protest Against Mistreatment and Humiliation

As the case of the detained Shi’a religious scholars in Bahrain continues to unfold, the Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR) received confirmed reports on Saturday, 18 July 2026, that twenty detained clerics had refused to meet with their lawyers in protest against arbitrary measures, including the shackling of their wrists and ankles. This update follows on from BFHR’s earlier statement, issued on 16 July 2026 and entitled “Bahrain Forum: Second Hearing in the Trial of the Religious Scholars—Restrictions on the Defence and Coerced Confessions.”

This development comes amid rapidly unfolding developments in the case. Credible reports point to an escalating pattern of violations that undermine fair-trial guarantees and infringe upon human dignity and personal security. In several instances, these violations have amounted to torture and deliberate humiliation. Such conduct violates rights guaranteed under international law and the Bahraini Constitution.

Among the detainees are prominent scholars from Bahrain’s Shi’a community, including instructors at the advanced bahth al-kharij level, directors of religious seminaries, and representatives of senior religious authorities in the holy cities of Najaf and Qom. Fifty-two of the detainees also serve as imams at 52 mosques, while others are preachers and religious activists.

BFHR strongly condemns the Bahraini authorities’ deliberate and ongoing practice of humiliating detainees, as well as their failure to respect the country’s Constitution and the international treaties to which Bahrain is a party. The authorities continue to resort to threats, torture, and flagrant violations of human dignity, taking advantage of the political circumstances created by the ongoing war in the region and the longstanding culture of impunity entrenched in the country.

BFHR reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of these grave violations of fundamental rights and human dignity, particularly the right to a defense, the presumption of innocence, judicial independence, and the right to be free from torture and degrading treatment.

BFHR further stresses that the Bahraini authorities have failed to comply with the standards governing the treatment of prisoners set out in the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners—the Nelson Mandela Rules—as well as with Bahrain’s obligations under international law. These include Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees an accused person’s right to communicate effectively with legal counsel, and Article 10, which requires all persons deprived of their liberty to be treated humanely and with respect for their inherent dignity.

BFHR recalls that these measures form part of a broader pattern of abuse and mistreatment by the authorities against the detained scholars, as documented in its previous report. The most serious violations included forcing detainees to sign confessions under threat of having their citizenship revoked, subjecting them to physical torture, and violating their bodily privacy and integrity.

These acts constitute clear violations of Article 2 of the Convention against Torture and Articles 7 and 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These provisions prohibit torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment and require that all persons deprived of their liberty be treated humanely and with respect for their inherent dignity.

BFHR warns of the serious consequences of the course of action pursued by the Bahraini authorities and calls on the international community to exert pressure and intervene urgently to protect the scholars’ dignity and ensure their safety. It also calls for an urgent, independent international investigation, conducted in accordance with international standards, to ensure accountability, provide redress to the victims, and end the longstanding climate of impunity in the country.

BFHR renews its call for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained religious scholars. It urges the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to follow the case as a matter of urgency.

BFHR further calls on these UN officials and mechanisms to contact the Government of Bahrain and request detailed information about the detainees’ conditions and the legal safeguards available to them; to seek country visits and conduct fact-finding inquiries wherever possible; and to assess whether the measures taken by the Bahraini authorities are consistent with Bahrain’s obligations under international law.

In conclusion, BFHR holds the Bahraini authorities—particularly the King of Bahrain and the Prime Minister—fully responsible for the safety of the detained scholars and for any physical or psychological harm they may suffer as a result of their arbitrary detention.

Bahrain Forum for Human Rights
19 July 2026