The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay calls on Bahrain to take immediate measures to address impunity and to build trust between the Government and civil society. In particular, she encourages Bahrain to ratify the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT), in a press release issued on 21 December 2011.
This call comes after a comprehensive independent report by international experts criticized the widespread use of torture and excessive force during protests earlier this year. Ms Pillay had sent a senior-level delegation to Bahrain in mid December. She further said the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and the subsequent acknowledgment by the King of Bahrain that serious human rights violations did occur were important first steps in the right direction. Bahrain has also agreed to open places of detention to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) earlier this month, which is another positive step paving the way for the ratification of the OPCAT.
