U.S. State Dept Report on Human Rights Practices (2003): Bahrain

Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
February 25, 2004

Bahrain is a monarchy which, in 2002 adopted a constitution that reinstated a legislative body with one elected chamber. The Al-Khalifa extended family has ruled the country since the late 18th century and continues to dominate all facets of society and government. The King, Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, governs the country with the assistance of his uncle, the Prime Minister; his son, the Crown Prince; and an appointed cabinet of ministers. The King chairs the Higher Judicial Council. Members of the Al-Khalifa family hold 9 out of 24 cabinet positions, including all “strategic ministries.” The partially elected National Assembly consists of an elected Council of Representatives and an appointed Shura Council. However, the courts have ruled against the Government in the past. The National Action Charter provides that the King is the head of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. The Constitution gives the elected Council of Representatives a role in considering legislation, but most legislative authority still resides with the King and he appoints members of the Shura (Consultative) Council. The courts are subject to government pressure and occasional accusations of corruption, and there have been very few instances of persons trying to bring cases against the Government. The Constitution provides for a nominally independent judiciary; however, the judiciary was not independent, and courts were subject to government pressure regarding verdicts, sentencing, and appeals.
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
February 25, 2004

Bahrain is a monarchy which, in 2002 adopted a constitution that reinstated a legislative body with one elected chamber. The Al-Khalifa extended family has ruled the country since the late 18th century and continues to dominate all facets of society and government. The King, Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, governs the country with the assistance of his uncle, the Prime Minister; his son, the Crown Prince; and an appointed cabinet of ministers. The King chairs the Higher Judicial Council. Members of the Al-Khalifa family hold 9 out of 24 cabinet positions, including all “strategic ministries.” The partially elected National Assembly consists of an elected Council of Representatives and an appointed Shura Council. However, the courts have ruled against the Government in the past. The National Action Charter provides that the King is the head of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. The Constitution gives the elected Council of Representatives a role in considering legislation, but most legislative authority still resides with the King and he appoints members of the Shura (Consultative) Council. The courts are subject to government pressure and occasional accusations of corruption, and there have been very few instances of persons trying to bring cases against the Government. The Constitution provides for a nominally independent judiciary; however, the judiciary was not independent, and courts were subject to government pressure regarding verdicts, sentencing, and appeals.
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 also monitors the internal security situation. The Government maintained effective control over security forces. The security forces did not commit any serious human rights abuses during the year. Impunity remained a problem, and there were no known instances of security forces personnel being punished for abuses of authority committed during the year or in the past
The country had a population of approximately 670,000, an estimated one-third of whom were noncitizens, primarily from Asia. It had a mixed economy, was a regional financial services center, and depended on tourism from Saudi Arabia. The Government estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate at 4.5 percent. Higher average oil prices and increased construction activity fueled by deficit government spending contributed to higher GDP growth during the year. Real wages have been falling for over 10 years.
Although several problems remained, the Government’s respect for human rights improved in some areas during the year. Citizens did not have the right to change their government. The Government prohibits political parties, and none exist. Impunity of government officials remained a problem, as did the independence of the judiciary and discrimination against the Shi’a population, women and third country nationals. The press published credible allegations that some judges were corrupt. The Government continued to infringe to some extent on citizens’ privacy rights. The Government restricted the freedoms of speech, the press, assembly, and association. Journalists routinely practiced self-censorship. The Government also imposed some limits on freedom of religion and freedom of movement. No government policies or laws explicitly addressed violence against women. Violence against women, and discrimination based on sex, religion, and ethnicity remained a problem. There was reported discrimination in the job market. Abuse of foreign workers occurred, including numerous instances of forced labor and some instances of trafficking.

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