Bahrain Mirror: A major report by the United Nations Human Rights Office (HRO) listed Bahrain as one of the countries targeting activists cooperating with the United Nations, along with  group of countries including Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The report by the UN Secretary-General says individuals and groups have suffered reprisals and intimidation ranging from travel bans and asset-freezing to detention and torture.

The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour expressed deep concern over the ongoing situation of a Bahraini human rights defender, Ms. Ebtesam Abdulhusain Ali Alsaegh, who "has reportedly been beaten and sexually assaulted, and remains in detention".

"People engaging with the United Nations experienced intimidation, harassment, threats online and offline, derogatory media campaigns, travel bans, arbitrary arrests and detention, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, disbarment, and dismissal from their posts, amongst other measures," the report highlights.

Bahrain has claimed that it arrested Ebtesam al-Saegh for joining a so-called "terrorist organization", allegations that are unfounded according to the international organization.

The report said that Bahrain had questioned members of civil society organizations who were trying to cooperate with the Human Rights Council.

Gilmour also noted that since June 2016 members of Bahraini civil society attempting to cooperate with the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms have been interrogated, intimidated, subjected to travel bans, and even arrested or detained, causing an atmosphere of fear. Civil society representatives coming directly from Bahrain have significantly decreased over the last year, which is noted in the current session of the Council, the report added.

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