Human Rights and Freedom in Bahrain

https://www.humantruth.info/bahrain_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2018

#Bahrain #bahrain_gender #gender #misogyny #women

Bahrain Kingdom of Bahrain [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	98th best
Location	Asia, The Middle East
Groupings	Small Islands
Population	1.6m₁
Life Expectancy	78.76yrs (2017)₂

Bahrain is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Bahrain does better than average in opposing gender inequality₃. But unfortunately Bahrain gets most other things wrong. It does worse than average for commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₄, combatting modern slavery₅, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₆, supporting press freedom₇, LGBT equality in the 2020s₈, its average Freedom in the World rating and in freethought₉. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 when it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₁₀ (one of the highest in Asia). Things are getting worse, it seems, and in 2017 Bahrain shut down its only independent newspaper and human rights activists were silenced, imprisoned and harassed (including their relatives) and also prevented representation at the UN Human Rights Council and its associated processes₁₁.

1. Bahrain's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#bahrain #equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Asia (2025)₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Japan	31.6
2	Taiwan	42.2
3	S. Korea	45.2
	...
33	Uzbekistan	123.5
34	Maldives	123.5
35	Bangladesh	124.0
36	Bahrain	125.2
37	Oman	127.7
38	Palestine	132.1
39	UAE	134.1
40=	Yemen	136.1
41	Qatar	137.2
	Asia Avg	110.11
q=51.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₂
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₂
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
160	Bangladesh	124.0
161	Swaziland	124.1
162	Comoros	124.3
163	Bahrain	125.2
164	Egypt	125.4
165	Chad	127.2
166	Zimbabwe	127.2
167	Oman	127.7
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, The Netherlands and Denmark₁₃. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are Somalia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia₁₃.

30 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₃, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₃.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Bahrain stated:

“Prisoners were tortured and subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment, including medical neglect, delays in medical treatment as reprisal and denial of contact with family members. Authorities continued to restrict freedoms of expression and assembly and to hold prisoners for exercising these rights. The government did not adequately protect migrant workers from exploitation or take adequate steps to address the climate crisis. The government tightened access to healthcare for stateless children.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₄

“Bahrain's human rights situation continued to worsen in 2017. Authorities shut down the country's only independent newspaper and the leading secular-left opposition political society. The country's preeminent human rights defender remained in prison on speech charges. The government ... executed three people in January following unfair trials, despite their alleging that they had been tortured and their confessions coerced. ... Authorities restored arrest and investigation powers to the National Security Agency, despite its record of torture and abuse, and in April, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa signed legislation authorizing trial of civilians before military courts. Bahrain continued to deny access to ... the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [and] authorities prevented dozens of rights advocates from traveling to Geneva [and] the regular UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session. [...]

Both Sunni and Shia women face discrimination in the right to divorce and other matters. Adultery and sexual relations outside marriage are criminalized. No law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. ”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₁

Some of the restrictions are absurd, and would be entertaining if not for their all-too-serious limitations on basic freedoms. They declared, for example, "that it would be a crime punishable by up to five years in prison to express "sympathy" with Qatar or criticize Bahrain's decision to break relations with that country"₁₅. Others are serious, such as the use of collective persecution of family and relatives.

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₇
Pos.		2025₇
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
153	Yemen	31.45
154	Iraq	30.69
155	Sudan	30.34
156	Bahrain	30.24
157	Pakistan	29.62
158	Turkey	29.40
159	Venezuela	29.21
160	Cambodia	28.18
	Asia Avg	39.69
	World Avg	54.65
q=179. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

In terms of supporting press freedom, Bahrain is positioned 156th in the world.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₁₆

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

Averages by decade for Bahrain (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Bahrain:	34.14	40.63
World Rank:	123rd	⇣ 163rd
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₅
Pos.		Slavery in the 2020s Per 1000₅
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
96=	Hungary	6.60
96=	Mexico	6.60
96=	Dominican Rep.	6.60
99=	Bahrain	6.70
99=	Indonesia	6.70
101=	Libya	6.80
101=	Qatar	6.80
103=	Honduras	7.00
	Asia Avg	9.89
	World Avg	7.15
q=160. Also scored for 2010s-2020s.

With regard to combatting modern slavery, Bahrain is positioned 99th in the world.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and the poverty-stricken vulnerable.₁₇. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₁₈, Eritrea₁₈, Indonesia₁₉) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report, that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₁₈, and, nearly two-thirds of those in forced labour are employed at the end of supply chains working for large multinationals that creating products consumed by rich countries₂₀.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Averages by decade for Bahrain (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Bahrain:	1.90	6.70
World Rank:	29th	⇣ 99th
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
171=	Burkina Faso	6.0
171=	Cameroon	6.0
173=	Vietnam	6.5
173=	Bahrain	6.5
173=	Venezuela	6.5
173=	Yemen	6.5
173=	Uzbekistan	6.5
173=	UAE	6.5
	Asia Avg	5.0
	World Avg	3.7
q=205. Also scored for 1970s-2010s.

Bahrain is positioned 20th-worst in the world regarding its average Freedom in the World rating.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Bahrain (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Bahrain:	4.9	5.1	6.1	5.3	6.3
World Rank:	88th	⇣ 92nd	⇣ 170th	⇡ 155th	⇣ 184th
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.4. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₄
Pos.		2017 Score₄
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
81=	Uganda	-5
81=	S. Sudan	-5
81=	Zimbabwe	-5
81=	Bahrain	-5
81=	Venezuela	-5
81=	Oman	-5
81=	Tajikistan	-5
81=	Lebanon	-5
	Asia Avg	-5.0
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Bahrain is positioned 78th in the world when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

2.5. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₆
Pos.		2009 Treaties₆
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
138=	Haiti	12
138=	Dominica	12
138=	Central African Rep.	12
138=	Bahrain	12
138=	Israel	12
138=	Angola	12
138=	Suriname	12
138=	Kuwait	12
	Asia Avg	12.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Bahrain comes 137th in the world in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights.

There are many international agreements on Human Rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of Human Rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

2.6. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₁
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₁
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
142	Serbia	12.44
143	Indonesia	12.45
144	S. Africa	12.51
145	Bahrain	12.55
146	Haiti	12.61
147	Pakistan	12.66
148	Monaco	12.76
149	Antigua & Barbuda	12.76
	Asia Avg	10.97
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

In terms of speed of uptake of HR treaties, Bahrain comes 145th in the world.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

Bahrain is on the way towards ending gender inequality, even though women were prevented equal voting and standing rights until quite late.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₃
Pos.		2022₃
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
45	USA	0.18
46	China	0.19
47	Ukraine	0.19
48	Bahrain	0.19
49	Qatar	0.20
50	Malaysia	0.20
51	Chile	0.20
52	Bulgaria	0.21
	Asia Avg	0.33
	World Avg	0.34
q=166. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

When it comes to opposing gender inequality, Bahrain comes 48th in the world.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Averages by decade for Bahrain (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	2000s Average	2010s Average
Bahrain:	0.31	0.23
World Rank:	49th	49th
World Avg:	0.41	0.37

3.2. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Year Women Can Vote Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
158=	Yemen	1970
159	Switzerland	1971
160	Bangladesh	1972
161=	Bahrain	1973
161=	San Marino	1973
161=	Andorra	1973
164=	Jordan	1974
164=	Solomon Islands	1974
	Asia Avg	1907
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Regarding the year from which women could participate in democracy, Bahrain is positioned 161st in the world.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₁₀
Pos.		2014 %₁₀
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
92=	Qatar	80
92=	UAE	80
94=	Jordan	81
94=	Bahrain	81
96	Kuwait	82
97	Tunisia	86
98=	Algeria	87
98=	Libya	87
	Asia Avg	48.2
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Bahrain comes 8th-worst in the world in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice (amongst the worst in Asia).

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₂₂_,₂₃_,₂₄_,₂₅. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₂₆, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₂₇_,₂₈. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₂₉. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₀.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality in the 2020s

#2020s #equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

Because sexual relations outside of marriage are illegal fundamental LGBT equality is not possible, and the state infringes on basic freedom of personal relations and personal life for any sexually active LGBT folk₃₁.

LGBT Equality in the 2020s Higher is better₈
Pos.		LGBT Equality in the 2020s Score₈
1=	Germany	4.88
1=	Spain	4.88
3	Portugal	4.81
	...
161=	Benin	-4.09
161=	Equatorial Guinea	-4.09
163	Niger	-4.12
164	Bahrain	-4.13
165=	Congo, DR	-4.13
165=	St Lucia	-4.13
167	Mali	-4.19
168	Grenada	-4.83
	Asia Avg	-2.88
	World Avg	-1.21
q=215. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Bahrain comes 164th in the world with regard to LGBT equality in the 2020s.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₂. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right and protected by privacy laws₃₃. Despite this, it is illegal to be homosexual in over 60 countries (as of 2025)₃₄. The Vexen LGBT Equality Index as part of the Social and Moral Development Index grants points to each country depending on its LGBT stance since the 1970s₃₅_,₃₆. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region, but in the Middle East and Africa cultural prejudice goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

" LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Homosexuality in Bahrain has been legal since 1976, when the country repealed British-imposed sodomy laws. However, vague provisions against "indecency", "immorality" and "debauchery" are still used to target LGBTQ folk, combined with a hostile and discriminatory atmosphere. ILGA researchers in 2017 found that Bahrain had no legal protections against anti-LGBT discrimination, and supportive NGOs are banned.

Actions taken at the United Nations:

⇣ Opposed a 2003 resolution at the UN Commission tabled by Brazil, on prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and opposed it again in 2004 (it was defeated both times by the Vatican and a collection of Islamic countries).
⇣ Opposed the 2006 Norway Joint Statement on sexual orientation and gender identity at the UN.
⇣ Voted against the 2011 Resolution at the UN Human Rights Council posted by South Africa, requesting a report on discrimination and violence against LGBTQ folk.
⇣ In 2019, voted against renewal of the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
⇣ In 2022, voted against renewal of the UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Averages by decade for Bahrain (for the ranks, lower is better):

LGBT Equality	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average	2020s Average
Bahrain:	-5.10	-3.00	-3.00	-6.00	-5.05	-4.13
World Rank:	200th	⇡ 85th	⇣ 107th	⇣ 163rd	⇣ 170th	⇡ 164th
World Avg:	-2.98	-2.87	-2.60	-2.15	-1.10	-1.21

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₉
Pos.		2021₉
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
172=	Comoros	4.3
173=	Kuwait	4.5
173=	Jordan	4.5
173=	Bahrain	4.5
173=	Bangladesh	4.5
173=	Somalia	4.5
173=	Indonesia	4.5
173=	Syria	4.5
	Asia Avg	3.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Bahrain ranks 21st-worst in the world regarding freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₃₇. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₃₈. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₃₉ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₀. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₁. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₉_,₄₂ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₉_,₄₃.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₄₄. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₃₈, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₄₅ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₄₆ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).