When states establish independent control institutions concerned with human rights and monitor the performance of law enforcement devices, they are not satisfied with showing a formal commitment to the law, but rather established daily practices based on accounting and transparency.
This is what the Kingdom of Bahrain did with a clear political will, and with a reformist and humanitarian idea led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the monarch of the country, may God protect and preserve him, who directed the establishment of national systems that preserve rights and protect dignity, and confirm that man is at the forefront of all considerations.
In 2013, the royal guidance was issued to establish the General Secretariat of Grievances, then followed by the Commission on Prisoners’ Rights and detainees, in an unprecedented move regionally, the justice system transferred to a new level of independence and accountability.
The Secretariat came as a role model, based on international standards of the Ombudsman offices, through which conflicts of interests were broken, as the investigation of the complaints of individuals is made from an independent authority from the security institutions, which strengthened the reliability. To an active channel for solutions and settlements. In only one year, the number of grievances decreased to 520 cases, which was considered a direct result of legislative and institutional improvements, most notably the Royal Pardon, the activation of the alternative penal system, and the improvement of the environment of reform and rehabilitation centers.
As for the commission, it added a necessary preventive dimension through declared and surprising field visits to detention centers, which provided an integrated regulatory system based on anticipation and prevention, not only waiting and reaction. Cooperation between the two institutions constituted a practical guarantee for the sustainability of improvement and the protection of rights in all its stages.
Credibility here are not slogans, but documented procedures and annual reports that are published transparently, and actually implemented recommendations. It is noteworthy that this system is not only accountable for accountability, but also to improve humanitarian services within the facilities. This integrated trend reflects the broader vision of the majesty of the great king, that justice is not only a protection of rights, but a lever for development, and a basic element in promoting national human capital.
These achievements are inseparable from the Bahrain 2030 vision, which made justice, transparency and competitive basic pillars. The involvement of these institutions in international and professional partnerships has strengthened the exchange of experiences and adapting international standards with national privacy.
Today, justice in Bahrain is more close to the citizen, and human dignity is more preserved, thanks to a royal vision that put human first, and made reform an ongoing approach, and human rights is an institutional responsibility that is not negligent.
