Bahraini authorities faced a challenging week as they hosted the 146th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly from 11 to 15 March 2023, welcoming hundreds of representatives from all over the world. During the event, a number of participants shed light on human rights violations in Bahrain and the imprisonment of regime critics, including Danish Bahraini citizen Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, who has been held behind bars since 2011.

Cyprus strongly protested the appearance of the Turkish flag of Northern Cyprus during the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference held in Manama a few days ago, and sent a letter of protest to Bahrain over the incident that almost caused a crisis between the two countries.

Bahrain ignored the request of the Danish delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union conference, held in Manama a few days ago, to visit prisoner of conscience Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja in Jaw Central Prison.

Danish MP Karsten Hønge, who is taking part in the 146th inter-parliamentary union in Bahrain, called for the immediate release of prisoner of conscience, Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, who holds the Danish citizenship.

Jamal Fakhro, a member of Bahrain's appointed Shura Council, attempted to conceal something of massive importance. He has made repeated attempts to silence European parliamentarians who have raised concerns about political prisoners in Bahrain, particularly the prominent activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, during the IPU conference.

Amnesty International sent an appeal yesterday to release prisoner of conscience Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja.

Zaynab Al-Khawaja, daughter of prisoner of conscience Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, confirmed that her father "will not be broken and will not be silenced". She refuted the statement of Bahrain's representative at the inter-parliamentary union, Jamal Fakhro, who claimed that her father was not tortured.

The Danish and Norwegian parliamentary delegations participating in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference called on Bahrain to release prisoner of conscience Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, who holds the Danish nationality.

Pacheco is undoubtedly aware of the numerous human rights violations and lack of freedoms in Bahrain. However, he has chosen to align himself with the ruling regime and has failed to uphold fundamental values.

member of parliament participating in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference, currently being held in Manama, mocked Bahrain's representative to the conference, Shura Council First Deputy Chairman, Jamal Fakhro, for teaching parliamentarians "the principles of dialogue."

During her intervention in the inter-parliamentary union conference, Dutch Senator Petra Stienen called on IPU president Duarte Pacheco to urge Bahrain to overturn its decision to deny entry to Human Rights Watch representatives to attend the conference held in Manama.

Brian Dooley, a director at Human Rights First, criticized the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for not publicly endorsing the call of the chairman of the Danish parliamentary delegation, MP Søren Søndergaard, to release prisoner of conscience Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja.

The health of the detained former MP Sheikh Hasan Isa has reportedly deteriorated as he enters his fifth day of hunger strike to protest ill-treatment at Jaw Central Prison.

Human Rights Watch condemned in a statement today the Bahraini authorities' arrest of "four people over social media posts in early March 2023," noting that "one of those arrested had called for reform of Bahrain's parliamentary system ahead of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Manama."

MP Søren Søndergaard, chairman of the Danish parliamentarian delegation to the inter-parliamentary union conference, currently held in Manama, demanded Bahrain to release prisoner of conscience Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja.

Forcibly exiled Bahraini MPs called on Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Secretary-General Martin Chungong to demand Bahrain, which is currently hosting the IPU 146th General Assembly, to release all political prisoners, on top Al-Wefaq Secretary-General and former MP Sheikh Ali Salman as well as former MP Sheikh Hasan Isa.

The IPU, which groups parliaments around the world and aims to promote democracy and human rights, said it was "aware" that Bahrain revoked entry visas issued to Human Rights Watch. A spokesperson said the IPU did not know of any other delegations that had had restrictions imposed on them to attend the meeting.

We call on you, parliamentarians, to: be with us, not against us.

Tirana Hassan, Human Rights Watch's acting executive director, published a series of tweets through which she condemned Bahrain over its human rights record and the visa cancellation of two Human Rights representatives, who were intending to attend the inter-parliamentary 146th assembly.

The Bahrain Press Association (BPA) condemned the authorities' arrest of 4 citizens who are active on social media outlets, including lawyer Ibrahim Al-Mannai, Kassim Al-Hujairi, Ali Hassan and Ibrahim Khalil, coinciding with the 146th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly in Manama.