New UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Raises Concerns about Bahrain and Saudi Arabia at HRC 39

10 September 2018 – Today, at the opening of the 39th Session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet delivered her first opening statement as the new High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her remarks demonstrated a commitment to continue the previous High Commissioner Zeid Raad Al Hussein’s legacy of a[…]

ADHRB at HRC 39 calls for Independent Investigation into Bahrain Labor Abuses and Human Trafficking

On Monday 10 September, at the start of the 39th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary forms of Slavery and the Independent Expert on International Democratic Order, ADHRB’s Advocacy Fellow delivered an oral intervention highlighting failing labor practices, human trafficking, and migrant labor[…]

A Review of Two Years of Bahraini and Saudi Trends in UN Complaints

In the United Nations’ (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) Joint Communications Report (JCR) that was released on Friday, 31 August, there was only one case mentioning Bahrain, while two cases dealt with Saudi Arabia. This is something of an anomaly, as over the last two years there have been six JCRs covering 21 Bahraini cases[…]

Human Rights Council Membership Standards: Why Bahrain Does Not Deserve a Seat in the Council

In advance of the 39th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) submitted a brief report to the Council raising serious concerns about Bahrain’s bid for membership, due to its flagrant, widespread, and systematic human rights abuses. Continue reading for the text of the written[…]

Profiles in Persecution: Husain Mohsen Al-Meftah

Husain Mohsen Al-Meftah is a 32-year-old Bahraini citizen who worked as a guard at the Al-Arian factory prior to his arrest. He was arbitrarily arrested by police officers, forcibly disappeared for over 20 days, and tortured into confessing to the charges against him. Husain currently awaits his appeal in Jau Prison. On 8 November 2015,[…]