17. In connection with protecting the rights of expatriate workers, the NIHR monitored an allegation that a private company had seized the passports of its employees and refrained from paying their wages for a period of up to three months. The NIHR pursued the matter with the Labor Market Regulatory Authority without delay to establish the veracity of the claim and take legal action against the company. The case was transferred to the Inspection Department to carry out an inspection visit. 18. The NIHR also monitored another case connected with the arbitrary dismissal of an employee and the cancellation of his residence permit during his leave. The NIHR followed up on the matter with the Expatriate Labor Support Unit of the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Persons. It was agreed to resolve the issue, in addition to allowing the person in question to remain in the Kingdom of Bahrain until the issue is settled. 19. The NIHR also monitored two cases on violating the Ministerial Decision No. (3) of 2013 regarding the ban on midday outdoor work, by two private companies. The NIHR immediately contacted the competent authorities to determine the two violations; one of the violations was found to be true, and the necessary measures were taken by the competent authorities; while the other monitored case did not take place during the months in which midday work is banned prescribed in the aforementioned Decision. B. Attending court hearings to ensure fair trial guarantees 20. In the same context related to the protection of human rights, the NIHR attended a number of court sessions, including (5) five hearings for a defendant in the case of insulting religion and misuse of means of communication, and (5) five hearings for a female defendant in a public defamation, spreading false news, and misuse of means of communication lawsuit, in addition to attending (22) twenty-two hearings for two defendants in the case of killing a policeman and attempting to kill other policemen by carrying out a terrorist bombing, before the High Criminal Court of Appeals, where an irrevocable sentence imposing the death penalty has been pronounced, but the Court of Cassation has referred the case to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration after accepting a request for reconsideration lodged by the Public Prosecution in accordance with the legal procedures followed in this regard. The NIHR also attended a hearing to replace imprisonment in the case of a person accused of publishing blogs on his account on a social media site (Twitter), and another hearing for a person accused of violating the conditions of lawful residence in the Kingdom, in addition to attending hearings of a number of other criminal, civil, and labor trials. 21. Attendance of the court sessions by the NIHR aims to review and verify the soundness of judicial procedures and provision of fair trial guarantees in the prosecution of accused persons. The NIHR 94