Bahrain Withdraws from UNHRC Elections After Criticism Exposing Human Rights Violations

By Al-Ahed News

Bahrain withdrew from the elections of the United Nations Human Rights Council [UNHRC] scheduled for this month after ceding to pressure after criticism that has exposed humanitarian violations against political detainees and prisoners of conscience.

According to the UN’s website, Bahrain will not participate in the elections for membership of the highest human rights body in the international organization, after critics drew attention to the Bahraini authorities' violations of human rights.

The UNHRC elections webpage indicated that Bahrain withdrew on September 26 its candidacy to run for a three-year seat in the Geneva-based council, without giving details.

The withdrawal comes after a series of complaints and criticism of the Bahraini authorities for their inhumane treatment of activists, dissidents and peaceful demonstrators, thousands of whom had been jailed, especially after the outbreak of the political crisis in the kingdom following the February 2011 popular movement.

Parallelly, a memorandum distributed by the London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy [BIRD] to council members drew attention to complaints of arbitrary arrests and reprisals targeting individuals, according to a UN report last month.

The organization also held a series of meetings with UN officials and diplomats in August to urge countries not to support Bahrain.

For his part, Director of Advocacy at BIRD, Sayyed Ahmed Al-Wadaei, said, “It is a relief to see Bahrain withdraw after our effective call in Geneva against their candidacy”.

He noted that, “Bahrain has consistently denied the entry of special rapporteurs to the country and used its seat at the UN as a means to evade human rights scrutiny and launder their international image by bogus reforms”.

“It should never have a seat at the Human Rights Council,” Al-Wadaei said.