Zahra Habib
The annual report of the Special Investigation Unit revealed a noticeable decrease in the number of complaints received by the unit compared to previous years, which reflects the continuous progress in promoting transparency and legal accountability, as the unit received 39 complaints during 2024, compared to 45 complaints in 2023.
According to the report, the Special Investigation Unit received 39 complaints during the year 2024, registering a decrease compared to previous years, as the number of complaints reached 45 complaints in 2023, and 61 complaints in 2022, which related to the abuse of treatment.
The complaints came from various parties, most notably the Public Prosecution “19 complaints”, the General Secretariat of Grievances “10 complaints”, the National Corporation for Human Rights
“3 complaints”, in addition to some complaints that arrived on the unit website, or through their direct monitoring of cases.
The nationalities of the complainants were distributed among 35 Bahraini citizens and 16 of other nationalities, while the number of males complained was 50 people, compared to one complaint that a woman submitted. The report indicated that the unit listened to the statements of 55 complainants and 16 witnesses during the year, and 30 suspects and 24 accused were interrogated in various issues, and some of the complainants were transferred to the Forensic Medicine and Psychological Support Division, where 17 people underwent a psychological examination and 10 people to a legal medical examination.
The year 2024 witnessed the referral of a number of cases to the competent judicial authorities, where two cases were referred to the criminal courts, in addition to 5 other cases that were referred to the Military Courts Administration at the Ministry of Interior, and judgments were issued in some cases, and disciplinary parties such as warning, warning and ending the service.
Among its efforts to enhance human rights protection, the Special Investigation Unit organized a number of training activities and seminars, the most prominent of which is the participation in the Bahraini Diplomacy Forum for Human Rights by organizing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organizing an introductory symposium in the Shura Council on the developments of the unit’s work, and coordinating a discussion session with the United Nations Development Program on “foreseeing the future of human rights”
The unit also received official delegations from the United States, the United Kingdom, Kuwait, Pakistan, the League of Arab States, and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, with the aim of enhancing cooperation and exchanging experiences.
