Macron welcomed by Bahrain’s dictator as rights groups urge him to prioritise human rights amid escalating crackdown

20 October 2026

• 32 rights groups warn Macron against legitimising Bahrain’s repression.
• Over 700 arrests and 33 children stripped of citizenship.
• Groups demand the release of political prisoners, an end to unfair trials and an immediate moratorium on executions.

Thirty-two human rights organisations, including the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), Human Rights Watch and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), have written to French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of his visit to Bahrain, urging him to prioritise human rights in his discussions with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Macron’s visit forms part of a Gulf tour from 19 to 21 October, encompassing Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar. Despite ongoing unrest in France, Macron landed in Bahrain this afternoon, where he was welcomed by King Hamad and his sons.

Video footage of Macron’s arrival: Associated Press (AP).

In their joint letter, dated 16 October, the organisations warn that Bahrain is experiencing its most severe crackdown on dissent since 2011 and that closer political and security cooperation with France risks emboldening the Bahraini authorities.

The letter documents more than 700 arrests since the outbreak of the war between Iran, the United States and Israel. It also details the revocation of citizenship of 69 Bahrainis, including 33 children, the youngest of whom was just 19 days old at the time. It raises concerns about the mass prosecution of 69 defendants, including 46 detained Shia clerics, amid allegations of torture, coerced confessions and serious violations of fair trial rights.

It also highlights the death in custody of 32-year-old Sayed Mohamed Al-Mousawi, whose body was returned to his family bearing visible signs of torture, and the plight of 19 prisoners facing the death penalty, 18 of whom have exhausted their legal remedies.

The organisations demand the immediate and unconditional release of political prisoners, including Danish-Bahraini human rights defender Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Swedish-Bahraini dissident Sheikh Mohammed Habib Al-Muqdad, opposition leader Hassan Mushaima and academic Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace, all imprisoned for more than 15 years. Dr Al-Singace has been on a liquid-only hunger strike for over five years.

The organisations warn that unless Macron makes concrete demands for human rights improvements, including the release of political prisoners, his visit “risks legitimising Bahrain’s repression and sending a dangerous message to its rulers that they can continue imprisoning critics, persecuting religious leaders and stripping children of their citizenship without facing any consequences to their relations with France.”

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Advocacy Director at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), said:

“Since the outbreak of the Iran war, repression in Bahrain has intensified sharply. Bahrain’s ruler is jailing critics, stripping children of their citizenship and presiding over widespread torture. Thirty-two-year-old Sayed Mohamed Al-Mousawi was tortured to death in custody. Macron must raise these abuses publicly or risk legitimising this brutal repression.

France must not sacrifice human rights for lucrative Gulf deals under the guise of regional security. Bahrain must not be allowed to buy France’s silence. Those responsible for serious human rights abuses must face consequences, not rewards from France.”

Antoine Madelin, FIDH Advocacy Director, stated:

“The current crisis should remind President Macron that lasting energy security depends on respect for human rights and peace. France must look beyond immediate supplies and support the open, democratic societies on which a stable future depends. Bahrain’s diverse and plural society deserves that support. Macron must speak out against the repression that is closing civic space and press for the release of those imprisoned for exercising their rights. Seeking Bahrain’s support makes defending these freedoms more urgent, not less.”

The organisations urge Macron to press Bahrain to release political prisoners, end the mass prosecution of Shia clerics, restore citizenship to those stripped of it, and establish an immediate moratorium on executions. They also call for human rights safeguards on French security assistance and independent assessments before concluding agreements with Bahrain.

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