Bahrain acceded to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 2006, the only Arab Gulf monarchy to do so at the time. In acceding to the Convention, Bahrain agreed to be bound by the provisions of the ICCPR without the need for an act of signature. In accordance to Article 40 of the ICCPR, Bahrain was required to submit a periodic treaty report to the HRC on the measures adopted within one year of ratifying the convention and maintains an affirmative obligation to submit follow-up reports every four years thereafter. Bahrain has yet to submit either the initial report or any follow-up reports to the HRC.
In 2014, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain, together with the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, submitted a report on Bahraini non-compliance to the Committee on Civil and Political Rights. This report looks at Bahrain’s commitments to the following prohibitions, rights and freedoms guaranteed under the ICCPR: the prohibition of torture (article 7); right to liberty (article 9); rights of prisoners (article 10); right to fair trial (article 14); freedom of religion (article 18); freedom of expression (article 19); freedom of assembly (article 21) and the freedom of association (article 22). It finds that in every respect, the situation in Bahrain has deteriorated.
