UN Committee Against Torture Censures Bahrain Over Systemic Use of Torture and Repression of Dissent

 In its latest concluding observations released on November 28, 2025, the United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) issued serious concerns regarding Bahrain’s persistent failure to uphold its obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT). The report paints a troubling picture of a justice system that not only tolerates but relies on confessions extracted through torture—and a government that systematically targets human rights defenders, journalists, political opponents, and other critics through intimidation, arbitrary detention, and physical abuse.

At the heart of the Committee’s findings is the routine use of torture by Bahraini authorities to coerce confessions from detainees. Despite repeated allegations over many years, these coerced statements continue to be admitted as evidence in criminal proceedings, effectively legitimizing torture as an investigative tool. The Committee expressed deep alarm that Bahraini courts have consistently failed to investigate credible complaints of torture, thereby reinforcing a culture of impunity and undermining the integrity of the entire judicial process.

In response, the Committee issued a clear directive: Bahrain must ensure that any statement or confession obtained through torture or ill-treatment is inadmissible as evidence in any legal proceeding—except when such a statement is used against the accused torturer to prove that the confession was made under duress. Furthermore, the Committee stressed that whenever there is an allegation that a statement was procured through torture, authorities must launch an immediate, effective, and independent investigation, and that any perpetrators—regardless of rank or position—must be prosecuted and, if convicted, duly punished.

Beyond the courtroom, the report documents a broader pattern of state-sponsored repression. Human rights defenders, civil society activists, independent journalists, and political dissidents have reportedly faced severe reprisals for their work or views. These include arbitrary arrest and detention, enforced disappearances, travel bans, revocation of citizenship—a particularly punitive measure used to render individuals stateless—excessive use of force, and even extrajudicial executions. Many have been prosecuted before military courts, which lack the independence and due process guarantees required under international law.

The Committee also highlighted reports of detainees being denied contact with their families and legal counsel, a practice that heightens vulnerability to abuse and obstructs accountability. Intimidation, threats, and harassment appear to be standard tactics used to silence dissent and deter civic engagement.

In light of these findings, the UN Committee urged Bahrain to take urgent and comprehensive measures to protect all individuals who exercise their fundamental rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association. It called on the government to ensure thorough, impartial investigations into all allegations of human rights violations, hold perpetrators accountable—including within the security apparatus—and provide victims and their families with effective remedies, including compensation and rehabilitation.

The CAT’s conclusions on Bahrain underscore a recurring challenge in states that formally adhere to international human rights treaties while systematically violating their core provisions. When torture becomes instrumentalized for extracting confessions, and when critics of the state are met with violence rather than dialogue, the rule of law gives way to arbitrary power.

The absolute prohibition of torture is a cornerstone of international human rights law—a principle that admits no exceptions, even in the name of national security or public order. Bahrain’s continued reliance on coerced confessions and its targeting of civil society not only breach its treaty obligations but also erode public trust in state institutions and fuel long-term instability.

The international community now faces a clear test: whether it will support meaningful accountability or allow these abuses to persist under diplomatic silence. The UN Committee’s recommendations offer a roadmap for reform. It is incumbent upon Bahrain—and its allies—to ensure they are implemented without delay.