Political restrictions can dictate more than who appears on a ballot. Human Rights Watch reports that political isolation in Bahrain extends beyond elections into civil society and that separate good conduct certificate practices can also affect access to education and employment. In 2018, Bahrain implemented new laws that restrict former members of opposition groups and certain other select individuals from serving on the boards of civil organizations or running for parliament.

Human Rights Watch has documented delays and denials of good conduct certificates among some former opposition members and prisoners. Human Rights Watch has additionally reported that these certificates can be required for employment and university admission. In the absence of official government data, Bahraini civil society groups have used membership lists from dissolved political societies to estimate that 6,000 to 11,000 Bahrainis may be subject to political and civil restrictions. Together, these political and administrative restrictions can affect access to civic participation, education, employment and economic opportunity for some individuals.

Bahrain’s Political Isolation Laws

The 2018 political isolation framework followed the court-ordered dissolution of two major political opposition societies, Al-Wifaq in 2016 and Wa’ad in 2017. In June 2018, Bahrain enacted Law 25/2018, limiting eligibility to run for the Council of Representatives. The law affects multiple groups, including the leaders and members of political societies the government dissolved, people with specific criminal convictions and individuals whom authorities consider responsible for disrupting constitutional or parliamentary life. Bahraini lawyers and civil society groups have interpreted this grouping to include former lawmakers and other individuals who have either resigned or boycotted their elected posts in protest. The U.S. State Department stated that such restrictions on former members of banned political groups limited political participation, while Bahrain has continued to maintain an elected lower legislative chamber and an appointed upper chamber.

In August 2018, Bahrain enacted Law 36/2018, extending eligibility requirements beyond elections to the boards of associations. The law amended Bahrain’s associations framework to require board members to possess full civil and political rights. As a consequence, individuals deprived of full civil and political rights can also be barred from leadership positions in civil society organizations. Human Rights Watch reported that authorities prevented three nominees from joining the Bahrain Human Rights Society’s board in 2022 because of their previous affiliations with Wa’ad. This demonstrates that these restrictions reach organizations operating separately from formal electoral politics and may further limit participation in civic institutions.

Economic Consequences of Political Isolation

A more direct link between political isolation in Bahrain and economic opportunity appears in Human Rights Watch’s reporting on Good Conduct Certificates. Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior handles these documents through the General Directorate of Crime Detection and Forensic Evidence. Human Rights Watch reports that Good Conduct Certificates may be required for employment, starting a business, university admission and membership in social and cultural organizations. The organization documented former opposition figures and former prisoners facing lengthy delays and denials. In one specific case, a former opposition member said he could not accept a position as head of a school because government authorities did not issue the mandated certificate. This documented example shows how a certificate delay or denial can create a direct employment barrier for an affected individual.

The certificate issue overlaps with the 2018 political isolation laws but remains legally distinct from them. The 2018 laws do not themselves deny Good Conduct Certificates to opposition members. Instead, Human Rights Watch has documented certificate delays and denials as a separate issue affecting some of these same politically marginalized communities. For individuals whose employment, education or business activities require the certificate, delays or outright denials can restrict access to jobs, education, and other income-generating opportunities. For affected households, those barriers can make it harder to maintain a stable income.

Recent Steps Toward Reintegration

Recent government measures have expanded prisoner-release and reintegration programs. On April 8, 2024, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a royal pardon for 1,584 prisoners, including some who were convicted on charges related to earlier protests. Reuters reported that around 65% of the released prisoners had riot-related convictions. Separately, Bahrain has also used an alternative-sentencing program that allows select eligible prisoners to finish their sentences through the completion of community service, rehabilitation courses and electronic monitoring. By April 2024, Bahrain’s government reported that nearly 6,500 prisoners had benefited from the alternative sentencing program since its introduction in 2017.

Bahrain’s Open Prison program provides a more direct example of reintegration tied to economic opportunity. According to the U.S. State Department’s 2023 human rights report, the initiative opened in December 2022 and allowed 48 prisoners to reunite with their families while continuing to serve their sentences in a new facility. In 2023, 13 prisoners entered alternative programs and obtained full-time private-sector employment through an agreement between the Ministry of Interior and INJAZ Bahrain. The 2023 agreement was designed to provide training in employment, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and other practical skills intended to support participants’ reintegration into the workforce and civil society.

By December 2024, Bahraini officials reported a 97.5% rehabilitation and reintegration rate and stated that more than 7,600 families had benefitted from the alternative-sentencing and Open Prison Programs. Officials also highlighted partnerships with Gulf University and Applied Science University to provide full and partial scholarships to program beneficiaries.

Political Participation and Economic Inclusion

Political isolation in Bahrain remains in place while the government has separately expanded pardons, alternative sentencing programs and the Open Prison Program. On March 27, 2025, King Hamad granted amnesty to 630 inmates, according to Human Rights Watch’s 2026 World Report, following a series of pardons in 2024. The pardons and reintegration programs operate through mechanisms separate from the 2018 political isolation laws and the Good Conduct Certificate practices. At the same time, the 2018 political isolation laws remain in force. Whether that reintegration translates into broader access to education, employment and civic participation will dictate how far these efforts extend beyond prison walls.

– Elias Haskins

Elias is based in Claremont, CA and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

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