Second Annual Report of the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) 2014 - Kingdom of Bahrain • Taking the legislative measures that ensure granting the Bahraini women children, who have no father or who have a stateless father, the right to acquire the Bahraini nationality, on an equal footing with the person who has a Bahraini mother and unknown father, or whose paternity has not been legally established. • Urging the legislative authority to pass a new citizenship law to be commensurate with the political, economic, and social conditions of the Bahraini community, and to be in line with the international human rights instruments. FREEDOM OF OPINION AND RIGHT TO EXPRESSION13: • Expediting the issuance of an integrated law on the press, printing, publishing and audiovisual, printed and electronic media, in line with the international human rights instruments, without prejudice to people rights to freedom of opinion and expression. • Incorporating the definition of the right to expression, inclusive of receiving and imparting the various forms of information and ideas to others, regardless of frontiers, in the press, printing, publishing, and audio-visual, printed, and electronic media law. This right includes the right to political discourse, public comments, polls, discussing human rights issues, the press, cultural and artistic expression, religious discourse, whether this right is exercised in spoken or written form, sign language or expression in books, newspapers, leaflets, posters, banners and other documents, as well as all audio-visual media, and electronic methods of expression. • Urging the legislative authority to expedite completing the discussion of the draft law on guaranteeing the right to access to information, as a major component of the freedom of opinion and expression and media freedoms, and as primary requirement for transparency in government performance. RIGHT TO PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY14: • Inviting the legislative authority to pass a new law on peaceful assembly that guarantees the freedom to enjoy this right in the context of the relevant international human rights instruments, or amending Decree No. 18 of 1973 on Public Meetings, Marches and Assemblies, as amended, by including a clear and explicit provision that considers the purpose of the notice to hold peaceful gatherings is to organize rather than prevent holding these gatherings, and lifting the prohibition of demonstrations, marches, rallies or sit-ins in the city of Manama. THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE15: • The need for the legislative authority to expediently approve a draft law on civil organizations and institutions, taking into account the appropriate developments in human rights, and supporting this law with the guarantees for the exercise of the right to organize in line with international human rights instruments. • Making the necessary legislative amendments that grant the associations that are subject to the provisions of Decree-Law No. 21 of 1989 Promulgating the Law on Societies, Social and Cultural Clubs, Youth and Sports Private Bodies, and Private Institutions, as amended, the freedom of incorporation by means of notification. • Performing the necessary legislative amendments to the provisions of Law No. 26 of 2005 on Political Associations, so that it includes the requirement to notify the agent of the founders of the political association by registered letter of rejecting the application, together with the 13 For further information on the Freedom of Opinion and Right to Expression, refer to NIHR first annual report for 2013, p. 63. For further information on the Right to Peaceful Assembly, refer to NIHR first annual report for 2013, p. 69. 15 For further information on the Right to Organize, refer to NIHR first annual report for 2013, p. 73. 14 16