Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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383. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his assessment of the situation in Bahrain (details supplied). [37829/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I note with concern the details in the statement referred to by the Deputy.

Respect for human rights is an integral part of Ireland’s foreign policy and we consistently seek to raise our concerns on human rights issues through the most appropriate and effective channels.

Ireland urges all States to safeguard the human rights of prisoners and detainees, as set out in the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Mandela Rules.

Officials from my Department have raised concerns over the human rights situation in Bahrain directly with the Bahraini authorities. When I met the Bahraini Foreign Minister at the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2019, I also raised the human rights situation in Bahrain with him, expressing the hope that we can have an open and honest discussion on these issues.

Our active participation at the UN Human Rights Council is a particularly important fora in which to raise our concerns regarding human rights. Ireland has raised the human rights issues in Bahrain at the Human Rights Council in the form of national statements and through support to EU Statements.

Ireland also engages on the issue of human rights in Bahrain through the European Union in other fora. At the most recent EU-Bahrain Human Rights Dialogue in February 2021, issues of concern were raised by the EU including rule of law, prison conditions, right to a fair trial, freedom of expression, freedom of association, death penalty, torture and the impact of Covid-19 on the human rights situation.

 The EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, has also made representations to the Bahraini authorities on human rights issues, including the detention of a number of individuals, as well as the conditions of their detention.

Ireland will continue to monitor developments in Bahrain, and calls on the Bahraini Government to deliver on its stated commitment to make progress in relation to human rights.