Amnesty International strongly criticized US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who will reportedly lift human rights conditions on an arms sale to Bahrain, despite that country’s record of oppression against dissidents.

University of Melbourne hosted on Friday a conference entitled, “Human Rights Abuses in the Gulf States,” which discussed the human rights situation in the Gulf States, with a focus on Bahrain and Yemen.

Now family members of those who criticize the Bahrain government are being threatened, targeted, summoned and intimidated, said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley.

Amnesty International said that it is alarmed by the deteriorating human rights situation in Bahrain, in its oral statement to the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

If there is an Exhibit A for how the ascent of the Trump administration is leading to the deterioration of human rights in other countries, it is Bahrain, said the Washington Post in an editorial.

My challenge is clear to the authorities. The opposition wants dialogue and has consistently said this on a regular basis for the past six years.

France, Czech Republic, Ireland, and Denmark criticized Bahrain's human rights record, and called on Manama to abolish all restrictions imposed on civil society associations.

A statement issued by five Bahraini human rights organizations stressed the failure of the National Institution of Human Rights (NIHR) in reflecting the real conditions in the country, which confirms that the institution does not follow Paris Principles that Bahrain said the institution was formed in accordance with.

A number of human rights groups denounced in the strongest possible terms “the Government of Bahrain’s efforts to dissolve Wa’ad and to systematically dismantle the country’s independent political space.”

An event held on March 1, 2017, entitled, "Bahrain 6 years on - where to go from here?" focused on what next steps could be taken in order to pressure Bahraini authorities to live up to their human rights commitments.

The British government has refused to back a joint United Nations statement criticising Bahrain over its deteriorating human rights record.

Brian Dooley stressed that the sale will encourage further repression in the island kingdom of Bahrain, which, in turn, will cause greater instability and violence in the country.

A number of human rights groups urged permanent representatives of member and observer states of UN Human Rights Council to call for improvements in human rights situation in Bahrain at 34th HRC session.

The UK government has prioritised business dealings with the Gulf over rampant human rights abuses in Bahrain since 2011 uprising.

Concerns in Congress and the human rights community are high that Trump team is planning to approve multibillion-dollar sale of fighter jets to Bahrain without any conditions, reported the Washington Post.

Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister has rejected calls to suspend security and justice projects with Bahrain and Egypt, despite its projects’ contribution to the Human Rights violations in these two countries.

The Security authorities summoned on Sunday (October 9, 2016) the Bahraini journalist Faisal Hayyat and asked him to “immediately appear” for interrogation.

The National Iraqi Alliance chief, Sayed Ammar Al-Hakim slammed the major countries and international organizations for their silence towards what is happening in both Yemen and Bahrain.

The Guardian stresses HR campaigners say British College of Policing should explain its work with Bahrain, which is accused of numerous human rights abuses.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmad Al Khalifa attacked UN Human Rights Council, accusing it of “politicization and blackmail”.