Bahrain: Ban welcomes report on alleged rights violations, urges steps to spur dialogue, reforms

Welcoming a report by an independent inquiry into the alleged rights violations in Bahrain earlier this year, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the country’s Government to implement the panel’s recommendations as a way of spurring dialogue and reconciliation and meeting the “legitimate aspirations” of the people.

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, headed by Professor Cherif Bassiouni, found that Government forces had used excessive force during the crackdown in February and March and had tortured some detainees, according to media reports.

The report, which had been commissioned by the king in the wake of the violence, was released yesterday.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban welcomed the report''s release and said he would now study it closely, along with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and other senior advisers. He noted that the UN would also study the Government''s follow-through.

"The Secretary-General calls on the Government to ensure the implementation of its recommendations as a meaningful step in addressing serious allegations of human rights violations," the statement said.

"He hopes the report''s issuance and implementation would help to create the conditions in Bahrain for all-inclusive dialogue, reconciliation and reforms that will meet the legitimate aspirations of the Bahraini people."

The protests in Bahrain this year were part of the wider Arab Spring popular movement that swept across North Africa and the Middle East and has led to the toppling of long-standing leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen.