Bahrain has been regularly criticized by the UN and civil society for its lack of action regarding the practice of torture in the country. In particular, criticism focuses on Bahrain's failure to hold senior officials accountable for torture since the violent crackdown on demonstrations which erupted in 2011, following the revolutions in the rest of the region. Furthermore, this disappointing decision comes in the midst of ongoing clashes between the State Security forces and demonstrators which have worsened following the recent Formula 1 events held in the country despite widespread calls for suspension of the race due to the situation in the country.

Alkarama stresses that Bahrain's decision is an obstacle towards seriously tackling the issue of torture in the country, and that UN experts such as the the Special Rapporteur are particularly well placed to assist the country in taking concrete steps to address the issue.

Furthermore, while the Bahraini government has officially announced that the Special Rapporteur postponed his visit to the country, Mr. Méndez deplored that "this was a unilateral decision by the authorities. Unfortunately, it is not the first time the Government has tried to avoid responsibility for the postponement of my visit, which was originally supposed to take place over a year ago." Mr Mendez continued: "I would like to express my compassion with the people of Bahrain who were expecting my visit, civil society and in particular, victims of torture and ill-treatment and their families. I will continue to engage with the Government by considering violations submitted to my mandate and by closely monitoring the situation of torture and ill-treatment, including the right of rehabilitation for victims in Bahrain."