The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report, released November 23rd, 2011 criticized the authority’s handling of the protests in Bahrain earlier this year. The report states that between February 14th and April 15th there were a total of 35 deaths linked to the unrest in that period, including five security personnel, and another potential 11 deaths that were examined independently. It also covers hundreds of cases of human rights abuses that include wide-spread torture in detention with five deaths resulting from torture while in custody, beating of protestors by security forces, mass arrests of peaceful demonstrators, and flawed military trials of activists and professionals.
“The report urged the Bahraini government to immediately establish an independent body made up of representatives of civil society, the opposition and the government; to oversee the implementation of the BICI’s recommendations; to usher in legislative reforms to ensure laws are in line with international human rights standards; and to bring to account those responsible for abuses.” A coalition of Bahraini civil society organizations has also recently published their own critical report on the protest aftermath calling on Bahrain’s international supporters to do more to promote human rights in the Gulf nation.
Sources:
BICI. “Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry” November 23 2011. http://files.bici.org.bh/BICIreportEN.pdf
Amnesty International. “Critical Reports Should Spur Human Rights ‘Turning Point’. November 23 2011.
http://www.amnesty.org/zh-hant/node/28272
Student Researcher: Kimberly Soeiro, Sonoma State University
Faculty Evaluator: Peter Phillips, Sonoma State University