SALAM: Lifting arms sales ban to Bahrain by US demonstrates a genuine absence of backing to human rights and democracy

SALAM: Lifting arms sales ban to Bahrain by US demonstrates a genuine absence of backing to human rights and democracy

The United States have disappointingly passed the decision to lift the ban on sales of military weapons to Bahrain’s National Guard and Defense Force after four years of minimum changes or reforms. This comes at a time where condemnations are rife against Bahrain, and recommendations remain largely and obviously ignored, with only minimum and cosmetic recommendations implemented. Condemnations have come from manymembers of the United Nations Human Rights Council, including the US and numerous international human rights organisations.

The decision by the US goes against all the condemnations articulated by international human rightsorganisations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, represents a gross offence against its country’s own department of state, which identified the grave human rights and political situation in Bahrain, anddemonstrates of a lack of accountability towardsundemocratic regimes and human rights abusers.

SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights strongly registers its dismay and worry regarding this ill-advised step taken by the US, and confirms that this decisiondemonstrates the US’s absence of credibility in supportof democracy and human rights. This decision further allows the Bahraini authorities to clamp down on voicesin the country demanding genuine reforms and a changetowards a system of democracy, and gives a green lightfor the authorities to commit more atrocities like that in Jaw Prison in March 2015.