Two organizations Bahrain established in 2011 to protect human rights, the Ombudsman of the Ministry of the Interior and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), have not adequately protected its citizens from allegations of torture, Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] reported [materials] Monday. The organizations were established in response to the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry’s investigation into unlawful killings, torture and human rights violations by Bahrain security forces. The Ombudsman’s responsibilities include reviewing complaints about alleged abuses at the hands of police or other officials and to refer them to authorities such as SIU to further investigate or take action. The SIU is responsible for investigating illegal acts of killing, torture or abuses by state officials. AI reports [press release] that although the establishment of these organizations were an improvement to Bahrain’s handling of human rights violations, they have so far failed to significantly curb human rights violations in the country. Since 2011, the SIU has referred 44 cases for criminal trial, which involved 93 members of the security forces. However, the SIU has also reviewed 150 other cases in which no criminal charges were filed. Only a few of those who went to trial were convicted, and a majority of those convicted were low-ranking members of the security force. So far, there have been no prosecutions of senior officials or officers. The SIU has also been criticized for not investigating reported abuses until years later, after some of the evidence is no longer obtainable. AI believes the Ombudsman is generally effective at reporting human rights complaints. However, the organization is also criticized for failing to keep families informed of the status of investigations, which has caused some distrust from its citizens. It is believed torture may continue to occur within the country, despite the existence of these organizations.

There has been ongoing criticism of Bahrain’s human rights since the 2011 uprising. In September 2015, the UN Human Rights Council released a report [JURIST report] on Bahrain’s human rights record. AI released a previous report [JURIST report] in April 2015 declaring that reforms had failed to end human rights violations. In February 2015 a Bahraini court found [JURIST report] 11 Shiites guilty of an attack carried out against police in 2013, and three Shiites were sentenced to death. The other eight defendants were sentenced to life in prison, and their citizenship was stripped. Also in February 2015, Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior initiated a criminal investigation into alleged criminal content [JURIST report] posted by the country’s main opposition group, the Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society.