The European Parliament has recently – via a widely supported resolution – condemned the abuses carried out by the Bahraini authorities.
The EU legislative has called on the Bahrain government to end the repression against civil society and opposition. In the same resolution, European lawmakers expressed concern over the recent travel ban imposed by the authorities in Bahrain on civil society preventing them from attending the work of international bodies. MEPs were also careful to express concern over the treatment of the opposition.
The resolution called on the EU to ensure that Bahrain respects its international commitments and its constitution to ensure basic rights and freedoms. Many MEPs asked the Commission to assert the respect for human rights as a condition for any further development of relations with Bahrain.
Such a strong worded European Parliament resolutions could impact relations with Bahrain. They may even lead to political sanctions. Bahraini authorities in this case at hand, but also countries that might find themselves in a similar situation, ought to engage with the European Parliament and EU institutions in general to minimize the risk of restrictive measures.