Bahrain’s justice ministry filed a lawsuit on Monday to dissolve an opposition group [BNA report] because of its threat to security. According to the ministry, the National Democratic Action Society, or Waad, had committed serious violations [Reuters report] contrary to the rule of law. The ministry also attests that Ward supports terrorism and sanctions violence by glorifying individuals convicted of terrorism. Last year, authorities took a big step to the combat of opposition in the country by dissolving the largest opposition group, al-Wefaq, and revoking the country’s top Shi’ite Muslim cleric citizenship. The ministry hopes this action will quell the violence that has increased over the last year due to authorities’ recent execution of three men convicted of killing police in 2014.

Bahrain’s human rights climate remains highly problematic. According to Human Rights Watch [advocacy website], the country’s courts convict and imprison [HRW backgrounder] peaceful dissenters and failed to hold officials accountable for serious rights violations. In September 32 nations joined a statement read to the UN Human Rights Council [official website] urging Bahrain [JURIST report] to protect its citizens’ freedoms of peaceful assembly, expression and rights to a fair trial. In November Amnesty International [advocacy website] criticized Bahrain [JURIST report] for not taking adequate steps to stop unlawful killings, torture and human rights violations that has been committed by Bahrain’s security forces. There has also been concern over Bahrain’s treatment of its minority Shia population. In August a group of UN human rights experts expressed concern [JURIST report] that the human rights of the Shia population were being suppressed, as they were often unfairly charged with with illegal gathering, inciting hatred against the regime, money laundering and acts of terrorism.