Bahrain: Ali Salman sentence underlines continuing discord

Prospects for a settlement between the government and protestors appear as far away as ever, with a series of reports, statements and court sentences in May highlighting the wide gulf between the two sides. The government claimed on 9 May that it had fully implemented the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), which had been set up to investigate allegations of state brutality during the 2011 protests. But six organisations – including the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and Americans for Democracy & Human Rights (ADHRB) – issued a joint statement on 16 May describing the claim as “alarming, indicating that the government has little intention to meaningfully address demands for justice and human rights”.