Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

US rights group calls for ‘free and fair’ elections in Bahrain

US rights group calls for ‘free and fair’ elections in Bahrain

Bahraini-American rights organisation says Gulf country is heading towards another ‘sham’ vote in November.

A Bahraini-American rights group has called on Bahrain to release political prisoners and allow independent monitors to observe the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections in order to avoid a repeat of what it called a “sham” vote in 2018.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) also urged Manama to remove restrictions on freedom of expression and refrain from imposing political conditions on who can run in the November elections.

“Conditions in Bahrain at the present time make free and fair elections impossible,” Husain Abdulla, the group’s executive director, said in the statement.

“Unless conditions improve quickly, the 2022 elections will again be a sham perpetrated by the Government of Bahrain on the Bahraini people and any facade of democracy in Bahrain will end.”


The call came two weeks after US President Joe Biden signed into law a funding bill that was accompanied by a statement (PDF) calling on the Department of State to produce a report detailing US “efforts made on behalf of political prisoners in Bahrain and the Government of Bahrain’s response”.

“The congressionally-mandated report is part of a larger effort to encourage the US State Department and other leading democracies to live up to the promises and rhetoric of the Biden Administration’s Summit for Democracy and to put pressure on anti-democratic regimes like the Government of Bahrain,” said Abdulla.

“If the 2022 elections are as unfair as the 2018 elections, the US must begin to pivot away from Bahrain and seek out partners in the Middle East who share US values.”

Bahrain is a constitutional monarchy in which the king acts as head of state and parliament enjoys limited legislative powers. Elections are held every four years to determine the 40-member Council of Representatives – the lower chamber of parliament. Forty members of the Shura Council, the other legislative body, are appointed by royal decree.

Activists and members of banned opposition parties had boycotted the 2018 election, dismissing it as a “farce”. Amnesty International warned before the last election in Bahrain that “political opposition has been effectively suppressed over the course of the past two years, with a disproportionate impact on Shia political, civic and religious leaders”.

In its most recent report on human rights globally, the Department of State last year documented “significant” rights issues in Bahrain, including torture, arbitrary detention, political prisoners, restrictions on freedom of expression, and substantial interference with the rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of association.


Still, despite its promise to centre human rights in US foreign policy, the Biden administration has not pressured Bahrain – at least publicly – to improve its human rights record.

US officials have heaped praise on the Bahraini government and other Arab countries that normalised relations with Israel.

During a visit to Israel in the past week, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken jointly met Israeli officials and top diplomats from countries that had normalised relations with Israel.

“We are fully committed to expanding cooperation through the Abraham Accords, and building on the remarkable progress that Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, as well as Morocco have made in such a short period of time,” Blinken said on Sunday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
×