5- In compliance with this, the accused may present what he wishes in verbal or written defense, and there is no restriction on him insofar as the quantity and nature of what he presents and what he deems necessary for defending himself. This necessitate giving him at all times the sufficient opportunity to respond to all that is attributed to him in an atmosphere respecting his dignity, which is expressed as the “principle of equal legal opportunities in procedures,” where the European Court of Human Rights explained that the principle of equal legal opportunities is a feature of a fair trial, which implicitly means that each party must be afforded a reasonable opportunity to prepare his case in accordance with conditions that do not render his position less solid than the position of his adversary. 24 Third: The Right of Detainees to Communication with the Outside World 1. The right to communicate with the outside world is a basic guarantee that protects the detainee from exposure to violations, such as torture and ill-treatment. This issue is asserted by many relevant international instruments, as well as the provisions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the relevant national legislation. 2. The United National Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners address the right of detainees to communicate with the outside world in view of its tremendous impact on their mental health. Rule No. 37 states that: “Prisoners shall be allowed under necessary supervision to communicate with their family and reputable friends at regular intervals, both by correspondence and by receiving visits”25. ‫اﻟﺘﻘﺮﻳﺮ اﻟﺴﻨﻮي اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺚ‬ ‫ﻟﻠﻤﺆﺳﺴﺔ اﻟﻮﻃﻨﻴﺔ ﻟﺤﻘﻮق اﻧﺴﻨﺎم‬ ‫ ـ ﻣﻤﻠﻜﺔ اﻟﺒﺤﺮﻳﻦ‬2015 ‫ﻟﻌﺎم‬ 3.  The Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment asserts the same right in Principle 19, which states that: “A detained or imprisoned person shall have the right to be visited by and to correspond with, in particular, members of his family and shall be given adequate opportunity to communicate with the outside world, subject to reasonable conditions and restrictions as specified by law or lawful regulations”26. 4. The recognition of the right of the detainees to communicate with the outside world will lead to taking actions and measures to ensure exercising it in a manner that is not prejudicial to its essence or affect its value and purpose. It is acknowledged that the competent authority has the right to develop regulatory controls, without abuse and in accordance with the legal frameworks and international standards adopted in this regard. This right should not be subject to any restrictions or controls, save to the extent necessary to achieve the interest of justice and in line with the legal status of the detainees, pursuant to the provisions of Article No. (31) of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 24  Human Rights in the Field of Administration of Justice- Episode Number (9) of the Series of Professional Training issued by the UN Human Rights Commission in cooperation with the International Bar Association (IBA). 25 The Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners were recommended for adoption by the First United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held in Geneva in 1955 and were approved by the Economic and Social Council resolutions No. 663 c (d -24) dated July 31, 1957 and 2076 (d -62) of 13 May 1977. 26 The Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution No. 43/173 of 9 December 1988. 84