National Institution for Human Rights – Kingdom of Bahrain opinion and the right to expression. This was applied to 43 criminal cases pending before the courts. As a result of this action, several cases were finally settled, and 343 accused persons took advantage of dropping these charges, according to the Report on Monitoring the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Report of Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, issued in December 2013. 11. a. With regard to the Recommendation No. 1724 / A, which states as follows: “Considering the limitation of media censorship and allowing the opposition greater use of television and radio transmission and printed media. The continued refusal to grant a sufficiently heard voice to the opposition groups in the national media poses the risk of increased political and ethnic (racial) polarization and division”. Recommendation No. 1724 / b, states as follows: “Setting professional standards for the media and other forms of publications, that include a code of conduct and a mechanism for implementation, in order to maintain professional and ethical standards so as to avoid inciting hatred, violence and intolerance, without prejudice to the internationally protected rights to freedom of expression”. b. The Government has stated in its reports on following up the implementation of the recommendations of BICI issued in June 2012 and in December 2013 that it sought the assistance of a group of media experts as a first step to look into the issue of media censorship and allow the opposition greater use of the media. c. The Government further stated that it is preparing a draft new media law that emphasizes rights and guarantees, including the guarantees of the freedom of the press, printing, publishing, and audio-visual and electronic media in accordance with the law, in addition to the right to criticism. The new law will guarantee the independency of journalists, with no authority over them other than the law in the performance of their work. d. The draft law also stipulates that journalists should not be forced to disclose the sources of their information, and should enjoy the right to access to information, statistics and news which are permitted to be published from their sources according the law. Under this draft, journalists are allowed the right to publish the information obtained from these sources. The Government added that the draft law has not ignored the prohibition of insulting or assaulting journalists by reason of their work, and that it regulates the relationship between journalists and the newspapers in which they work, without prejudice to the compelling orders of the Labor Law for the Private Sector. In addition, the draft law prohibits dismissing journalists before notifying the Supreme Authority for Information and Communication of the dismissal justifications, and provides for developing a general national media strategy based on the promotion of the common national values, and adopting a fair, professional, and balanced media policy of towards others’ opinions. 12. Based on NIHR follow-up of Recommendation No. 1724/A, the Institution did not find practical evidence proving allowing the opposition greater use of television and radio transmission and printed media, or granting the opposition groups a sufficiently heard voice in the national media. Despite that the Government indicated that it has used a group of independent media experts to put this recommendation into effect, it did not state the findings of the recommendations of these experts. Further, the Information Affairs Authority did not respond to NIHR letter which included a number of questions, including how the Authority handled the recommendations of BICI report which are relevant to its work. 13. In addition, NIHR observed a sample of the prohibited websites and tried to identify the number of these sites officially registered with the Information Affairs Authority, 62