A report from an international human rights group criticising Bahrain's judiciary has been branded politically motivated and biased.

The 635-page Human Rights Watch (HRW) World Report 2015, released yesterday (January 29), provided an annual review of global human rights practices and summarises the issues affecting 89 countries and territories across the world, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

In the chapter on Bahrain, the report alleged that the country's courts are convicting and imprisoning what it describes as 'peaceful dissenters' and said the judiciary 'failed to hold officials accountable for torture and other serious rights violations'.

National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) chairman and Shura Council member Dr Abdulaziz Abul said that HRW was known for being biased against Bahrain.

“It is unfortunate that the HRW is always taking a stand against Bahrain,” he told the GDN.

“They have never considered the other side of the story and hence are not neutral.

“The institution has taken a political position against Bahrain, which cannot be justified.”

Dr Abul noted that a team from the NIHR had met representatives from rival rights group Amnesty International, who were here on Wednesday to witness the trial of Al Wefaq secretary general Shaikh Ali Salman in the High Criminal Court, where he pleaded not guilty to encouraging the overthrow of the government.

“They witnessed the trial and we discussed openly various issues,” he said.

“Amnesty has accepted Bahrain's positive initiatives, but unfortunately, HRW has failed to do this.”

Shura Council legislative and legal affairs committee chairwoman Dalal Al Zayed said that she was 'unaffected' by HRW's claims.

Agenda

“These reports are obviously biased and the group has a political agenda,” she said.

“HRW's allegations against the judiciary are unacceptable, as Bahrain's legal system is constitutionally bound to protect the law.”

Anyone convicted of a crime has the right of appeal, Ms Al Zayed said, adding that the Cassation Court offers a further layer of legal recourse for defendants.

“The report's only intention is to target Bahrain - it is no different in its approach to other GCC nations as well,” she added.

Citizens for Bahrain spokesman Mohammed Al Sayed said the report had several shortcomings, which he claimed were a result of readily accepting opposition claims without conducting independent investigations.

“The Bahrain section of the report makes a number of legitimate points about the need for further judicial reform, strengthening the rights of migrant workers and increasing the accountability of the security forces,” he said.

“Many similar points were raised in the annual report by the NIHR, which was widely welcomed.

“However, there were a number of shortcomings in the HRW report and issues that should be challenged.

“Once again this appears to be due to a readiness to uncritically accept material and assertions provided by the Bahraini opposition, which has a clear political agenda in highlighting certain human rights matters.”

The report states that Bahrain's courts have handed out long-term sentences to more than 200 people in the last year, including at least 70 life sentences, on terrorism or national security charges.

It also claims that security forces shot dead at least three people during clashes with rioters.

“Bahraini authorities and courts have rarely held members of the security forces accountable for unlawfully using force against protesters and detainees,” it said.

The report also raised concerns over political imprisonment, freedom of expression and association, revoking of citizenship and migrant workers' rights.

Officials from the Public Prosecution told the GDN that the Supreme Judicial Council will study the report before commenting on the allegations. - TradeArabia News Service