Bahrain Mirror- Exclusive: On May 1, 2017, the UN Human Rights Council examined Bahrain's human rights record by working group on the UPR, for the third time since the launch of this strategy. The first UPR on Bahrain was held in April 2008, while the second one was held in May 2012.

The Bahraini delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Dossari. It included Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Abdullah Abdullatif Abdullah, Shura council member Ahmad Al-Haddad and representatives from the House of Representatives, Ministries of education and health and National Institution for Human Rights.

President of the Human Rights Council Joaquín Alexander Maza Martelli opened the session and stressed the council's ultimate rejection to "all methods of intimidation against all people who cooperate with United Nations mechanisms," and urged all states to provide protection to human rights defenders and activists who take part in the council's activities.

Bahrain's representative Abdullah Al-Dossari delivered a speech in which he stated that Bahrain implemented 45 recommendations of the second UPR recommendations issued in 2012, pointing out that Bahrain established the Ombudsman and Special Investigation Unit and claimed that they reinstated the employees who were dismissed on politically-motivated grounds.

During the 3-hour session, representatives of 82 states issued some recommendations to the Kingdom of Bahrain, most of them focused of holding those involved in torture accountable, guaranteeing right of peaceful assembly and establishing societies, abolishing decision of citizenship revocations, stopping harassment against human rights defenders and lifting the travel bans imposed on them and holding national dialogue.

On May 5, 2017, the human rights council approved the draft report of the UPR about Bahrain that was prepared by the troika and put 175 recommendations to Bahrain to implement them.

The state requested the amendment of its second recommendation during the Bahrain UPR session,

In this context, Qatar announced the withdrawal of a recommendation it had already submitted during the UPR session on (May 1, 2017) in which it called on Bahrain to "take effective measures to increase awareness about rights mentioned in the agreements Bahrain signed with regards to the judiciary and law enforcement officials." Qatar's representative said "the state of Qatar demanded to withdraw its second recommendation. The state requested amending its second recommendation during Bahrain UPR session. However, since it was not amended to conform with what was intended, the state of Qatar requests withdrawing the second recommendation listed in paragraph no. 6, 48 in the draft report of the team concerned with the UPR on Bahrain, and only keep the first recommendation made by Qatar."

The human rights council in Geneva agreed on withdrawing the said recommendation and keeping the first one.

The head of the working group on Bahrain delivered a speech about the draft of recommendations presented to Bahrain.

Following his speech, the chief of human rights council who asked the states to comment on the draft.

Except Qatar, none of the states gave any comment other than the interventions they made during the UPR session.

Chief of human rights council announced the adoption of the final report that included 175 recommendations, including Qatar's second recommendation that urged Bahrain to "promote health services to inmates and detainees".

Head of Bahraini delegation to Geneva, Abdullah Al-Dossari said that his country "will carefully study the recommendations mentioned in the report and will respond to the council on September 11, 2017."

On September 21, 2017, Bahrain presented its official response on the UPR recommendations regarding human rights, announcing that it refuses 36 recommendations out of 175.

Arabic Version