[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 16, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S750-S751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ANNIVERSARY OF PROTESTS IN BAHRAIN

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, it has been 11 years since the people of 
Bahrain gathered in the streets of Manama to urge their leaders to 
grant them stronger economic, social, and human rights. Bahrainis of 
all backgrounds called upon their leaders for meaningful change, for a 
voice at the table in the matters that affected their everyday lives. 
But their activism was met with brutal repression from the Kingdom of 
Bahrain.
  Journalists and human rights activists have shared with the world how 
Bahrain's national security forces violently beat unarmed protestors in 
the crowds, severely injuring and even killing protestors with tear 
gas, rubber bullets, and other live ammunition. The forces arbitrarily 
arrested and detained journalists, pursued volunteers who were helping 
the injured, and spared no one, not even children. This anniversary is 
stained by the blood of the Bahraini people, and it pains me that 
despite over a decade of asking for

[[Page S751]]

accountability and reform, there has been little change from their 
government.
  The country's leadership continues to commit and permit appalling 
human rights violations. Past reports from the U.S. State Department 
have highlighted the mistreatment of prisoners, including torture, 
inhumane punishment, and lack of proper access to medical care. 
Conditions have been further exacerbated by COVID-19, with two major 
outbreaks in overcrowded prisons last year. Yet the government 
continues to deny access to human rights experts, including the U.N. 
Special Rapporteur on torture.
  The Bahrain Government has also attempted to silence dissent by 
imprisoning opposition leaders, outlawing opposition parties, and 
banning online content as they see fit. The government restricts free 
speech on social media from their people and requires news and 
broadcasting outlets to be government-sanctioned, effectively stifling 
all independent journalism and healthy discourse. Additionally, reports 
indicate that the Bahrain Government monitors activists and other 
targets of interest by hacking into their phones.
  My father was a journalist, so I know how vital freedom of speech and 
freedom of press are to a flourishing, stable country. As a staunch 
defender against government overreach and unwarranted surveillance, I 
cannot stand idly by as the people of Bahrain live in constant fear of 
surveillance, arrest, and imprisonment for simply voicing their 
thoughts.
  America must hold Bahrain to a high standard, as we do with all our 
allies. The United States maintains a strategic relationship with 
Bahrain, as the country cooperates on U.S. defense initiatives in the 
region and hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. The United States 
represents a beacon of hope and democracy to the rest of the world, and 
we cannot remain silent in the face of over a decade of human rights 
violations and repression.
  This is a key year for change; Bahrain is slated to hold its 
parliamentary elections later this year. I strongly urge the Bahrain 
Government to allow peaceful demonstration and dissent, open their 
doors to independent oversight and international election observers, 
address their violations of human rights, and cease their attacks on 
free speech and free press. And during this pivotal year, I also urge 
the Biden administration to hold the Bahrain Government accountable for 
their overdue promises of reform.

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