A Bahraini parliamentary committee said it had agreed to repeal Article 353 of the Penal Code, which stipulates that a rapist should not be punished if he decides to marry his victim.

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa ratified and issued Law 3/2018 amending some provisions of Penal Code issued by Law Decree 15/1976, after its approval by the Shura Council and the Council of Representatives.

Shura Council approved in it session on Sunday (July 2, 2017) a bill regarding alternative punishments and measures that allow the judge to issue alternative punishments, including community service, house arrest in a specific place, preventing from going to a place or specific places, undertaking not approach or contact persons or certain entities, submitting to electronic monitoring, attending rehabilitation and training programs, and repairing the caused damage.

The Deputy president of the Higher Authority of Media and Communications Isa bin Abdulrahman Al-Hammadi issued a decision binding all media outlets in the kingdom to refrain from hiring or supporting any person or media outlet that has “views that insult the kingdom”.