NIHR's complaints committee holds second regular meeting

Manama, May 28 (BNA): The Complaints, Monitoring and Follow-up Committee at the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) today held its second regular meeting under the chairmanship of Maria Khoury, in the presence of members Khaled Abdulaziz Al Shaer and Rawdha Salman Al-Aradi. The committee reviewed complaints received by the NIHR during the months of April and May. The panel also reviewed the legal assistance cases delivered during the two months, which reached 32, in addition to one case monitored through mass media and social media networks. The NIHR received a total of 331 complaints through the toll-free hotline during the same period. The committee also discussed reports on its attendance of court sessions, as NIHR’s representative, to ensure fair trial for suspects. The committee also reviewed a report received by the NIHR on allegations of food poisoning among some inmates of the Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre (Jau Prison). As soon as the NIHR received the report, it contacted the competent authorities at the Ministry of Interior to verify the allegations, and was informed that they were false and inaccurate, and stressed the need to seek information from official sources. The panel praised the interest of the NIHR and the relevant authorities to ensure that convicts and detainees enjoy their constitutional rights. The NIHR receives complaints or legal assistance requests through personal presence, or via the toll-free hotline (80001144), website (www.nihr.org.bh) or smart phone application (NIHR Bahrain).