Oral Statement at the 61st Session of the UN Human Rights Council
Item 2: ID with the Special Rapporteur on torture
Delivered by Fairooz Jawad, Salam for Democracy and Human Rights
Mr President,
CIVICUS and Salam for Democracy and Human Rights welcome the Special Rapporteur’s report, especially the Charter of Rights of Victims and Survivors of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Human rights are indivisible and interdependent. A party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Bahrain must ensure every citizen can take part in public affairs, including speaking out about torture, seeking redress and accountability, and making torture a legitimate issue in Bahrain’s 2026 Council of Representatives elections.
The Special Rapporteur shows that torture causes lasting harm, devastates families and communities, and destroys trust in authorities. In Bahrain, as the mandate notes, torture has become routine.
Survivors seek justice through recognition, truth, and accountability. They must be free to share their experiences publicly and lead anti-torture advocacy to restore dignity and advance victim-driven justice.
Yet Bahrain’s 2018 “political isolation” laws allow the government to bar people from voting or standing for election, and to vet who may serve on NGO boards —violating civil and political rights.
For the 2026 elections, Bahrain must enable participation in public affairs and empower civil society and candidates to address torture through accurate public education, reinforcing that torture is illegal, harmful; never justified.
The Charter affirms survivors’ right to participate — as stakeholders and leaders — in all efforts to address torture and ill-treatment.
We urge all states, including Bahrain, to adopt the Charter as a framework for policy and action. We call for the release of arbitrarily imprisoned and abused human rights defenders and political activists at risk of torture, and urge states to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.
