The upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for early next week in Bahrain will take place in a repressive political environment that will not lead to free elections, Human Rights Watch said.
In a report posted on its website on Tuesday, the organization urged Bahrain's allies to "encourage the Bahraini government to take all necessary steps to reform laws that undermine freedom of expression and assembly and to release detained opposition figures."
"Bahrain does not provide the conditions for holding free elections by imprisoning or silencing people opposed to the ruling family and imposing a ban on all opposition parties and independent media," the report quoted Lama Fakih, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa division, as saying. Immediately release political prisoners and review their decisions on the closure of independent media and dissolution of opposition political associations. "
The organization added that the arrest of former MP Ali al-Ashiri because of his chanting about boycotting elections was the latest example of suppressing peaceful dissent.
She also confirmed that Bahrain's Supreme Court of Appeals had overturned the acquittal of Ali Salman, and sentenced him to life imprisonment for spying for the State of Qatar.
The organization called on Bahrain to repeal amendments to the law on the exercise of political rights and to allow opposition candidates to run for elections.
It also called for the immediate release of political prisoners and review its decisions on the closure of independent media and the dissolution of opposition political associations.
On the war in Yemen, Human Rights Watch said Bahrain had not provided any information on its role in the illegal attacks in Yemen.
It called on Bahrain's allies - including the United Kingdom and the United States - to stop supplying arms to Manama and the rest of the conflict in Yemen.