Justice minister receives OHCHR delegation

Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa received here today a delegation from the a delegation from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), led by Frej Fennich, Middle East and North Africa Section Chief, currently on an official visit to the kingdom. During the meeting, Shaikh Khalid welcomed the delegation, expressing the kingdom's constant desire to consolidate cooperation with OHCHR regarding technical assistance related to human rights. Ways of availing of OHCHR's specialised programmes in the fields of rule of the law and protection of human rights were also reviewed. The Justice Minister also highlighted the initiatives and measures taken by the kingdom as part of its efforts to implement the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), citing mainly the constitutional amendments aiming to consolidate the guarantors of freedom of expression, define the crime of torture, foster independence of the Judiciary, consolidate accountability and protection of victims, witnesses and experts. He also pointed out that the progress made reflects the kingdom's transparent dealing with the recent events, including the bold and prompt national initiatives taken in order to address the negative impacts of those incidents. Undersecretary for Justice Affairs Khalid Ajjaji and Chairperson of BICI Follow-up Authority Dana Al Zayani also attended.