The island kingdom said last year it would establish the organization, which would draft a national rights strategy and advise on new laws as well as receive complaints.
Seven independent Bahraini rights groups complained that over half of the watchdog’s 20 members were either government officials or current or former members of upper house of Parliament whose members are appointed by the king. The remainder were mostly from government-backed rights groups or were linked to the state, they said in a statement.
“Overall, the composition is neither independent nor pluralistic and the institution is expected to be biased toward its patron as time will certainly show,” the rights groups said.
“Bahrain very much wants to portray itself as a strong advocate of human rights, but the behavior on the ground leaves a whole lot to be desired,” said Joe Stork, Human Rights Watch deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.
