Click here for the Bahrain Country Update 

This country update examines religious freedom conditions in Bahrain. Throughout 2020, Bahrain continued to systematically restrict religious freedom for its Shi’a Muslim population. The government arrested Shi’a religious figures and imposed restrictions on the observance of the Ashura holiday beyond reasonable and lawful restrictions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Shi’a prisoners in Bahrain also continued to be denied access to religious texts and had religious items confiscated despite a prison visit by the National Institute for Human Rights in August 2020.