Bahrain’s Sunni-led monarchy dominates state institutions, and elections for the lower house of parliament are neither competitive nor inclusive. Since violently crushing a popular prodemocracy protest movement in 2011, the authorities have systematically eliminated a broad range of political rights and civil liberties, dismantled the political opposition, and cracked down on persistent dissent concentrated among the Shiite population.

• In March, 31-year-old inmate Hussain Khalil Ibrahim Kadhim died in custody at Jau Prison. He had been imprisoned since 2017 on charges related to sheltering wanted individuals, and had reported torture and denial of medical care. When other prisoners protested in the wake of his death, authorities allegedly responded by reducing access to food and air conditioning, among other measures. Another prisoner died at Jau in December, as protests and interventions by security forces reportedly continued.
• In a series of four mass pardons in April, June, September, and December, the king ordered the release of 3,482 prisoners. Those released included more than 800 people who had been deemed political prisoners by human rights advocates, though none were prominent dissidents or 2011 protest leaders, and more than 300 other political prisoners remained behind bars at year’s end. In addition to pardons, a number of prisoners received conditional release under alternative sentencing or open-prisons programs. Despite such clemency actions, the country’s residents continued to face arrest during the year for criticizing the authorities or posting allegedly offensive religious content on social media.
• In June, the interior minister announced the formation of a committee to investigate cases of fraudulently obtained citizenship since 2010. Separately in July, a court ordered the removal of lawmaker Mohammad Rafiq al-Hussaini from his seat on the Council of Representatives, alleging that he had failed to disclose Pakistani dual citizenship; he was then stripped of his Bahraini citizenship in August and deported to Pakistan.

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For additional background information, see last year’s full report.