In August, the State Department released its annual Human Rights Report on Bahrain. The report highlights human rights developments in Bahrain in the previous year, 2024. It is the first of the reports from the Trump administration. By comparing and contrasting this report with the last report from the Biden administration, the Bahrain 2023 Human Rights Report, one can gain valuable insights into the differences between the two administrations’ human rights priorities.

A Shift in Tone and Length

The first notable difference between the two reports is the differing lengths of the two reports. The Biden-era report is 50 pages long while the most recent Trump-era is only 20 pages. Some of this can be explained by editing choices and the grouping of certain topics into condensed paragraphs. For example, while the 2023 report lists the libel laws in its own section, the newest report makes a passing mention of it in its opening paragraph on press freedoms.

New sections have been added to the newest report and sections have been renamed. The 2024 report is condensed into three main sections all of which have new names. The 2024 report’s “Life” section covers topics found in the 2023 report’s “Respect for the Integrity of the Person” section. The other two new sections are called “Liberty” and “Security of the Person”; both include subtopics covered by the 2023 report as well.

Excluded Topics

The most interesting differences between the reports are not the topics that both covered, albeit with differing terminology, but rather what was excluded from the newest report. The 2023 report mentions several topics not found in the newest report. Unfair trial proceedings, statelessness, gender-based violence and discrimination, and the lack of democratic participation were just some of the topics excluded in the 2024 report. There is not a single mention of the words woman, women, or gender in the 2024 report at all.

Conclusion

It would be irresponsible for the author of this piece to assume the rationale for what is and is not in both reports. What is clear is there are clear differences between the two reports. These two reports were written under the direction of vastly different presidential administrations. A close reading of the two documents can perhaps  help shed light on the differing human rights considerations of both administrations.

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