Human rights organizations have accused Bahraini authorities of continuing to detain and mistreat minors in connection with political protests.
Reports from Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) state that despite a royal pardon in April 2024 that freed nearly 40 minors, new arrests have taken place, with dozens of children facing harsh conditions and fabricated charges.
Children involved in peaceful protests are being subjected to arrest, torture, and abuse, according to HRW researcher Niku Jafarnia. Former detainees have reported being beaten, stripped, and threatened with rape during interrogations. Between August and December 2024, more than 20 minors were arrested, many of whom were forced into confessions through psychological and physical abuse. They were also denied access to legal representation, medical care, and education.
ADHRB’s report highlights severe conditions at Bahrain’s Dry Dock Detention Center, where detained children face malnutrition, religious restrictions, and medical neglect. In response, some minors have launched hunger strikes to protest their treatment.
Bahrain’s Restorative Justice Law for Children, which sets the minimum age of criminal responsibility at 15, is being used to justify arbitrary detentions. ADHRB’s Executive Director Husain Abdulla criticized the ongoing crackdown, stating that recent amnesties appear to have only made room for more minors to be imprisoned.
ADHRB has urged the international community to hold Bahrain accountable and push for stronger human rights monitoring in the country. The call comes as concerns grow over the treatment of detained children and the broader suppression of political dissent in Bahrain.