Bahrain Mirror: The Bahrain Forum for Human Rights (BFHR) held (Wednesday February 22, 2017) its sixth conference under the title "The International Community and Challenges of human rights reform in Bahrain", in presence of representatives from Bahraini, Arab and international human rights organizations.

The conference discussed the dangerous developments on the human rights arena in Bahrain, and the international mechanisms to enhance the concepts of human rights. It also discussed a group of recommendations presented for the Bahrain human rights Universal Periodic Review in May 2017 in Geneva.

The conference called in its closing ceremony on the Bahraini authorities to directly implement the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) recommendations, and those of the UPR. It also urged the halt of extra-judicial killings, and the guarantee of fair trails for citizens.

Moreover, the BFHR demanded the United States of America to freeze all weapon deals with the Bahraini government, and called on the United Kingdom to review its security cooperation deals with Bahrain, so it won't aid the regime in its human rights violations.

Furthermore, the conference stressed Bahrain's need for international monitoring of the BICI recommendations and those of the UPR on Bahrain, after issuing binding decisions for the Bahraini authorities to enhance the human rights situation.

On another note, the conference called on UN Human Rights Council member states to appoint, during the upcoming UPR on Bahrain's human rights status, a UN special rapporteur on Bahrain, and to pressure the Bahraini authorities for UN special rapporteurs to visit Bahrain.

The BFHR conference also appealed to the HRC member states to form an international investigations committee on all violations in Bahrain, which would present binding recommendations to the Bahraini authorities. The conference also proposed the establishment of a Bahraini office for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In addition, the conference called on Bahraini authorities to cancel all citizenship revocation verdicts, and urged European Union states and other HRC member states to call on Bahraini authorities to end death row sentences, and halt their implementation against prisoners of conscience.

Arabic Version