Bahrain’s Approach to Combating Organized Crime

Challenges and Progress in Addressing Organized Crime

Bahrain has been working to combat organized crime through a multifaceted approach that involves international cooperation and domestic efforts to strengthen its anti-money laundering framework. However, the country still faces significant challenges in addressing corruption, human rights abuses, and restrictions on press freedom and civil society.

Key Points

Combating Organized Crime: Bahrain has taken steps to combat organized crime by participating in international bodies and partnering with other countries to enhance its capabilities.
- International cooperation has helped Bahrain enhance its capabilities to address organized crime.
Legislative Framework: The country has a robust legislative framework to counter organized crime, but there are areas of concern:
- Leniency of penalties for arms trafficking
- Lack of enforcement of wildlife protection laws
Judicial System: Bahrain’s judicial system lacks a dedicated court to handle organized crime cases, which can lead to concerns about the independence of the judiciary.
Human Rights Abuses: There are widespread reports of systemic police abuse:
- Torture
- Arbitrary detention
- Sexual assault
Economic and Financial Environment: The risk of money laundering and terrorist financing in Bahrain is moderate, but the country has strengthened its resilience by implementing tighter national regulations.
Civil Society and Social Protection: Bahrain has taken steps to combat modern slavery and human trafficking, but the Kafala sponsorship visa system has been criticized for giving employers excessive power over foreign workers.

Conclusion

While Bahrain has made progress in addressing certain aspects of organized crime, it still faces significant challenges in other areas. Addressing corruption, human rights abuses, and restrictions on press freedom and civil society will be crucial to ensuring the country’s approach to combating organized crime is effective.