Most of the evidence against the 300-plus detainees has been extracted under torture or from undisclosed sources. This is a systematic practice in Bahrain that has been documented by the United Nations and Bahraini and international human rights organisations.

The Bahraini judiciary is not independent. The government directly controls it, and judges lack objectivity. The Minister of Interior has a documented history of lying about detentions, deaths and evidence.

In March 2026, Sayed Mohammed al-Musawi, a Bahraini detainee, died in custody. His body was covered in bruises and lacerations, evident signs of severe torture. His family searched police stations for six days and received no information about his whereabouts, until they were called to collect his body from a military hospital. The government continued to change its story about al-Musawi. It initially denied he had died, then claimed he had died of a heart attack and then released a statement claiming photos of his tortured body had been manipulated. Eventually, the Special Investigation Unit admitted he had died under torture. This case specifically targeted a member of the Ajam community — Bahrainis of Persian descent, a community of around 80,000 people — sending a message through collective intimidation.

On top of the 300-plus arrested during the recent crackdown, an additional 400 remain in detention. Those in custody face what can only be described as a slow death, with the systematic denial of medical treatment for months at a time, denial of religious freedom, physical abuse and solitary confinement. International standards for due process and fair trials are completely absent.

All 12 people currently on death row in Bahrain were arrested for political reasons. Evidence against all of them was extracted under torture and through coerced confessions. The death penalty is being used not as punishment for serious crimes but as a tool of political suppression.

The death penalty conveys several messages. It tells society that anyone who promotes human rights or criticises the government could be killed. It creates fear and silence. It is deployed when political demands rise, such as when people call for accountability, democracy or participation. Alongside the death penalty, the government threatens to withdraw nationality, which intensifies fear across entire communities.

This is not a new tactic. Every time there’s been a mass movement for rights, as in 2011, when hundreds were killed and arrested, the government has escalated to the death penalty, using it to silence dissenters, chill civil society and prevent any challenge to authoritarian rule.

The Bahraini government dissolved all independent political societies and shut down the only independent newspaper, Al Wasat. In the absence of independent media, political societies or public forums, political debate has retreated to private conversations at dinner tables and encrypted messaging apps. People are forced to use fake names on Instagram and WhatsApp, but even these private discussions often lead to arrests.

The government systematically weaponises geopolitical events to justify domestic crackdowns. Whenever an international conflict captures media attention, it arrests activists, critics and opposition leaders. During the 2017 boycott of Qatar by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the government sentenced opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman to 15 years in prison. During the Saudi-led war on Yemen in 2018, it arrested human rights defender Nabeel Rajab and sentenced him to five years for posting about the war. It arrested Fadel Abbas, another opposition leader, at the same time. When the international community and media are distracted, Bahrain moves against domestic opposition, ensuring minimal scrutiny and media attention.

Bahrain’s human rights mechanisms and legal bodies currently lack independence, transparency and credibility. Substantive demands for accountability largely come from outside Bahrain. Security officers who commit human rights abuses typically don’t risk international travel to protect themselves from international justice, while senior officials enjoy immunity.

Still, the Bahraini regime is susceptible to external pressure. Awareness campaigns and sustained advocacy have produced human rights improvements before, and they must continue. An established presence of human rights and pro-democracy advocates at research centres, policy forums and universities is also essential.

Unfortunately, the international mechanisms at our disposal are underutilised. The European Union (EU), for instance, should use the EU-Bahrain dialogue as leverage to pressure the government on democracy, human rights and the rule of law. These are the EU’s founding values. The UK and USA are, however, unlikely to pressure Bahrain due to the strategic importance of the US Fifth Fleet.