Bahrain using violent tactic to repress dissidents amid West inaction: Amnesty

Amnesty international has censured Bahrain for using “an array of repression tools,” including torture and sexual abuse, in its brutal crackdown on dissent, blaming the silence of the Western states, especially the US and the UK, for a sharp rise in Manama’s use of violence.

Amnesty international has censured Bahrain for using “an array of repression tools,” including torture and sexual abuse, in its brutal crackdown on dissent, blaming the silence of the Western states, especially the US and the UK, for a sharp rise in Manama’s use of violence.

In a report, titled ‘No one can protect you’: Bahrain’s year of crushing dissent, the UK-based rights body elaborated on how Bahraini authorities embarked on a systematic campaign to eliminate freedom of speech and to “dramatically” crush dissidents and political activists in the country from June 2016 to June 2017.

“The majority of peaceful critics, whether they are human rights defenders or political activists, now feel the risks of expressing their views have become too high in Bahrain,” he noted.

The rights group said Bahrain has been “steadily backtracking on reform promises” it made after an iron fist response to the 2011 popular anti-regime uprising, calling on Manama to “immediately and unconditionally” release political prisoners and stop the persecution of critics and their relatives.

Luther further said Amnesty has received “horrific allegations of torture in Bahrain,” calling for a prompt and effective investigation into the reports.