Human rights defenders, opposition activists and Shia religious leaders continue to face substantial legal harassment in the execution of their freedom of expression and association. In addition to legal harassment, which has been reported to encompass unlawful detention, torture and ill-treatment, activists may face personal threats directed at them and their families. As of March 2017, this practice was most recently outlined in the arbitrary detention of the family of exiled activist Sayed al-Wadaei.
Irrespective of condemnations from the The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bahrain’s severe repression of human rights defenders has increased in recent years, displaying a troublesome deterioration of human rights.
21 February 2018 – Today, the Bahrain High Criminal Court sentenced leading human rights defender Nabeel Rajab to five years imprisonment for expressing critical comments on social med... Read more
26 October 2017 – Sixteen human rights groups have today written to the United Kingdom, United States and the European Union, as well as Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Switze... Read more
18 September 2017 – Fabricated criminal charges could send a London-based human rights defender’s family members to prison in Bahrain. Their trial today was postponed to 30 October for... Read more
Ebtisam Al-Sayegh is hunger striking against her ill-treatment in Isa Town Women’s Prison, where she is isolated in filthy and poor conditions Her isolation in prison appears to consti... Read more
19 July 2017 – Woman activist Ebtisam Al-Sayegh was charged yesterday under the anti-terrorism law after two weeks of daily interrogations and torture. Under the anti-terrorism law, sh... Read more
14 July 2017 – Women’s rights activist Ebtisam Al-Sayegh’s ill-treatment continues into its eleventh day, as the US calls for her release. Authorities of the Isa Town Women... Read more
Ebtisam Al-Sayegh was spotted injured in Isa Town Women’s Prison early on 4 July – where inmates were barred from leaving their cells to prevent seeing her She has been transferr... Read more
16 May 2017 – In recent weeks, the Government of Bahrain has substantially escalated its campaign of reprisals against the country’s civil and political societies. So far in the month of May... Read more
20 March 2017 – Political opposition leader Ebrahim Sharif was today charged with “inciting hatred against the regime” under article 165 of Bahrain’s penal code for m... Read more
We, the undersigned, in reaction to the statement made today by Bahrain’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdulla Faisal al-Doseri, during the High Level Segment of the Human Rights Council (HR... Read more
