U.S. State Dept Report on Human Rights Practices (2001): Bahrain

Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 4, 2002

Bahrain is a hereditary emirate with few democratic institutions and no political parties. The Al-Khalifa extended family has ruled the country since the late 18th century and dominates all facets of its society and government. The Constitution confirms the Amir as hereditary ruler. The Amir, Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, governs the country with the assistance of his uncle, the Prime Minister, his son, the Crown Prince, an appointed cabinet of ministers, and an appointed Consultative Council that advises the Government on all new legislation. In 1975 the Government suspended some provisions of the 1973 Constitution, including those articles relating to the National Assembly, which was disbanded and never reinstituted. Citizens belong to the Shi’a and Sunni sects of Islam, with the Shi’a constituting over two-thirds of the indigenous population. However, Sunnis predominate politically and economically because the ruling family is Sunni and is supported by the armed forces, the security services, and powerful Sunni and Shi’a merchant families. The political situation generally was calm during the year; there were a few incidents of low-level political unrest, but there has not been significant unrest since 1996. In February an overwhelming majority of eligible citizens, both male and female endorsed a government plan entitled the National Action Charter to restore constitutional rule. On October 2, the Amir affirmed that the country would become a constitutional monarchy, with a government based on separation of powers, majority rule, and minority rights. There are few judicial checks on the actions of the Amir and his Government, and the courts are subject to government pressure and occasional accusations of corruption; however, the judiciary provides some checks on government authority.
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 4, 2002

Bahrain is a hereditary emirate with few democratic institutions and no political parties. The Al-Khalifa extended family has ruled the country since the late 18th century and dominates all facets of its society and government. The Constitution confirms the Amir as hereditary ruler. The Amir, Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, governs the country with the assistance of his uncle, the Prime Minister, his son, the Crown Prince, an appointed cabinet of ministers, and an appointed Consultative Council that advises the Government on all new legislation. In 1975 the Government suspended some provisions of the 1973 Constitution, including those articles relating to the National Assembly, which was disbanded and never reinstituted. Citizens belong to the Shi’a and Sunni sects of Islam, with the Shi’a constituting over two-thirds of the indigenous population. However, Sunnis predominate politically and economically because the ruling family is Sunni and is supported by the armed forces, the security services, and powerful Sunni and Shi’a merchant families. The political situation generally was calm during the year; there were a few incidents of low-level political unrest, but there has not been significant unrest since 1996. In February an overwhelming majority of eligible citizens, both male and female endorsed a government plan entitled the National Action Charter to restore constitutional rule. On October 2, the Amir affirmed that the country would become a constitutional monarchy, with a government based on separation of powers, majority rule, and minority rights. There are few judicial checks on the actions of the Amir and his Government, and the courts are subject to government pressure and occasional accusations of corruption; however, the judiciary provides some checks on government authority.
The Ministry of Interior is responsible for public security. It controls the public security force (police) and the extensive security service, which are responsible for maintaining internal order. The Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) is responsible for defending against external threats. It did not play a role in internal security during the year. Security forces committed a few serious human rights abuses.
The country has a population of approximately 700,000, an estimated one-third of whom are noncitizens, and many of whom are Asian workers. It has a mixed economy with government domination of many basic industries, including the production of aluminum and the production and processing of hydrocarbons. The country is a regional financial and business center, as well as depends on tourism, particularly via the causeway to Saudi Arabia, as a significant source of income. The Government has used its modest oil revenues to build a highly advanced transportation and telecommunications infrastructure. Higher oil prices in 2000 and much of the year boosted economic growth and provided additional resources for new government projects. Possessing limited oil and gas reserves, the Government is working to diversify its economic base, concentrating on light manufacturing and the service sectors. The Government encouraged private national and international investment with some positive results. Per capita gross domestic product (GDP) is approximately $12,000.
The Government generally respected its citizens’ human rights in a number of areas and improved significantly in other areas; however, its record remained poor in some areas, particularly with respect to the rights of workers. The Government denies citizens the right to change their government; however, the February referendum on the National Action Charter, provides a template for the return of the country to constitutional rule.
In February the Amir annulled the 1974 State Security Act, which had superseded the Constitution and permitted arbitrary arrest and detention, incommunicado and prolonged detention, and forced exile. By February 14, the Amir had released all remaining political detainees and prisoners and invited nearly all exiles to return with full citizenship rights. Most have done so. The Amir also abolished the State Security Court, which held secret trials and provided few procedural safeguards. Nonetheless, impunity remains a problem; there were no known instances of security force personnel being punished for abuses committed during the year or in the past. The abolition of the State Security Court restored to the public the right to a fair public trial. The judiciary is nominally independent, but it still remains subject to government pressure. The press has published allegations that some judges are corrupt. The Government continued to infringe to some extent on citizens’ privacy rights. The Government imposed some restrictions on the freedoms of speech and the press, and restricted freedoms of assembly and association; however, during the year, public criticism of government policies increased, and the Government did not interfere with or disperse some unauthorized demonstrations. A committee worked during the year to develop legislation to define and regulate nongovernmental organizations (NGO’s). The Government also imposes some limits on freedom of religion and freedom of movement. In May the Government registered the Bahrain Human Rights Society, the country’s first human rights NGO. Violence against women, and discrimination based on sex, religion, and ethnicity remains a problem. The Government restricts worker rights, and widespread abuse of foreign workers occurs, including numerous instances of forced labor. Trafficking of foreign women into domestic servitude or sexual exploitation is a problem.

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