It is important to strongly reiterate the Kingdom of Bahrain’s position and commitment to human
rights and personal liberties and also its firm position against any act that infringes upon them.
This commitment is manifested in our constitution, our laws, and our independent oversight
bodies.
Additionally, it is also imperative to draw a distinction between the legitimate exercise of the right to
freedom of expression and assembly, and acts of violence and indiscriminate targeting of members of the
security forces and the public that have led to death or serious injuries. In that context, over the last five
years, Bahrain’s security forces have uncovered an unprecedented amount of internationally-sourced
explosives and bomb-making materials, intended for use in terror attacks such as Improvised Explosive
Devices (IEDs), claymore mines, machine guns and grenades.

By the end of 2016, over 550 IEDs have been uncovered. In September 28 2015, authorities
uncovered a sophisticated bomb-manufacturing facility that contained in excess of 1.5 tonnes of
high-grade explosives, including C4-RDX, TNT, and other powerful chemical explosives.
Since 2011, 21 police men have been killed: In addition, some 3200 police personnel have been
injured, with around 90 classified as life changing injuries.
However, the Kingdom’s commitment to human rights and their protect remain unwavering by
putting in place and further strengthening oversight bodies such as the Special Investigation Unit,
the Ombudsman Office, and the Prisoners and Detainee Rights Commission.
For example, in 2014 / 2015 the Ombudsman reported receiving 908 investigation requests, a
375% increase on the previous year. There were 992 investigation requests received between 1
May 2015 and 30 April 2016. This represents a further 9% increase from the previous year.
The Ombudsman Office has made strenuous efforts to ensure that it is very accessible and almost
every visitor to the Ombudsman Office meets with an investigator at the time of their first visit.
Serious incident allegations make up a small proportion of Ombudsman total complaints, the
Ombudsman dedicates considerable resources to these important and often challenging
investigations
A number of examples of investigations where the Ombudsman has secured and examined
critical CCTV evidence are included in its Annual report. In one of these instances, the
Ombudsman called in SIU investigators to examine the evidence secured within hours of
receiving the serious incident complaint. All of the Ombudsman and SIU investigative policies
are developed and delivered in accordance with the Istanbul Protocol.
The Ombudsman also has an office located at Jau Rehabilitation Centre, which is used by
investigators on a regular basis.
Additionally, through the work of the Follow-up Team, the Ombudsman also continues to give a
high priority to monitoring the progress of all cases referred for criminal investigation or
disciplinary action
The Ombudsman continues to meet with a great many international stakeholders, including
individuals and delegations from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,
Sweden, the European Union, the United Nations, the United Kingdom, the United States of

 America, and the Commission of Human Rights at the Council of Representatives. Meetings
also took place with local and international human rights organizations.
The Special Investigation Unit (SIU), is a specialized unit within the office of the Attorney
General and is headed by a senior member of the Public Prosecution. The Unit is responsible for
identifying and prosecuting any public servant involved in any serious incident, including torture
or mistreatment.
To date, the SIU has referred 51 cases to the criminal courts which involve at least 100 suspects
belonging to the police 17 of whom are police officer ranging in rank from Lieutenant Colonel,
Major, and first and second Lieutenants with resulting verdicts ranging from one month to seven
years imprisonment. It has appealed 19 cases with two cases reaching the Court of Cassation, the
highest court in the country. Most of these appeals were for lengthier sentences or against
sentence reductions appeal. An example of this is on a case where the SIU prosecuted two
members of the police for an assault leading to the death of an inmate. The court of first instance
sentenced the two policemen to 10 years imprisonment. However, on appeal that sentence was
reduced to two years. The SIU took the case to the Court of Cassation raising that sentence again
to seven years.
The Prisoners and Detainees Rights Commission was created in 2013 to protect the rights of
those in custody in the Kingdom of Bahrain and to ensure that their treatment meets the
standards set out in Bahrain’s constitution and laws, including the international conventions to
which it is a party.
The PDRC works independently of the government, and detention centre officials are obliged by
law to cooperate with its investigations and supply necessary information. As part of its mandate,
the PDRC has the right to conduct unannounced inspection visits to any place of detention, and
may access documents and information, observe the facility’s operations, and talk freely with
staff and detainees. Four bodies have authority to monitor and inspect prisons and places of
detention in Bahrain; the Supreme Judicial Council, the Public Prosecution, the National
Institution for Human Rights, and the Ombudsman Office, all of which are represented in the
PDRC. Members of civil society organizations are also represented. The PDRC has published
reports on all prison and detention facilities in the country with their latest report, published
earlier this year on Jau Prison.
In spite of the of the persisting narrative the Kingdom of Bahrain has not made and will not
continue to make solid efforts and progress, the information that I have shared here demonstrate
the contrary.
Yours Sincerely,
Fahad Al Binali
Fahad A. Al Binali
First Secretary
Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the United Kingdom