MANAMA: Bahrain’s strides in the human rights field in 2013 have been praised by Britain. The British Foreign Office lauded the efforts of the government in carrying out its reform schemes mainly in the judicial and security field. This, it said in a report published on human rights and democracy in 2013, gives the impression that “the general trend concerning human rights will be positive.”
The British Foreign Office praised the Bahraini government’s implementation of the recommendations of Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) and the UN Universal Periodic Review. However, it added reform in some fields was slower than hoped.
It also hailed implementation of the recommendations of the Interior Ministry’s Ombudsman which became operational in 2013. It welcomed the technical visit which will be paid by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Bahrain in 2014 and urged the Bahraini government to fix a new date for the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendez.
The British Foreign Office hailed the National Consensus Dialogue initiative in Bahrain, stressing that an all-inclusive constructive political dialogue, alongside reform, is the only way to boost peace and stability in Bahrain.
The report underlined Britain’s support to the reform process in Bahrain with focus on promoting human rights and the sovereignty of the law. It pointed out cooperation with the Interior and Justice Ministries in working out a national mechanism to prevent torture and monitor detention centres and prisons.
It said the Bahraini government has enforced a new law in this regard, pointing out the issuance of a royal decree to set up an independent commission for prisoners and detainees’ rights.