Meeting

Chaired by Eng. Ali Ahmed Alderazi, and with the participation of members of the Council of Commissioners and the presence of the Secretary-General, the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) held its third regular meeting. The Council opened the meeting by expressing its strong condemnation of the blatant Iranian attacks targeting the Kingdom of Bahrain, stressing that these hostile acts represent a flagrant challenge to the rules of international law and the requirements of respecting the sovereignty of states. It further affirmed that such actions constitute a clear violation of human rights principles, given the threats they pose to the safety of civilians and civilian facilities. The Council also emphasized the necessity of activating international accountability mechanisms to ensure justice and prevent impunity.

The Council of Commissioners also expressed its full solidarity with those injured as a result of this heinous attack, wishing them a speedy recovery. It affirmed its support for all national efforts aimed at strengthening security and stability in the Kingdom and reiterated its full endorsement of all measures taken by the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain to safeguard national security, ensure the safety of citizens and residents, preserve stability, and protect lives and property.

The Council then reviewed a number of items on the meeting’s agenda and discussed developments related to the Institution’s work and its programmes for the promotion and protection of human rights. This included the outcomes of the coordination meeting between the Chairperson of the Institution and the Minister of Social Development, which aimed to strengthen cooperation with civil society organizations and activate joint working groups in areas related to human rights, women’s rights, child rights, the right to health, and digital rights.

The Council also reviewed a summary of the work of the Standing Committees and the Child Rights Commissioner. The Detention & Facilities Visitation Committee reported the implementation of six visits to correction and rehabilitation centres and pretrial detention facilities, in addition to visits to several health institutions and the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, in order to monitor human rights conditions and assess the quality of services provided. Meanwhile, the General Rights and Freedoms Committee presented twelve advisory opinions on a number of draft laws, most notably the draft law on promoting coexistence and tolerance and combating hate speech, in addition to proposed amendments to several related laws.

The Complaint, Monitoring & Follow-up Committee also reviewed statistics on complaints received during the past three months, totaling 46 complaints. The Council was further briefed on the work of the Child Rights Commissioner, which included receiving six complaints, conducting field visits, and participating in several awareness activities.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Council of Commissioners approved the Secretariat’s work report for the fourth quarter of 2025.