Bahrain is to setup an independent ombudsman charged with investigating the conduct and allegations of corruption among the Gulf state’s police force.
The actions of the country’s security apparatus have come under scrutiny amid wide scale civil unrest on the island over the last 12 months.
The new body will be outside of the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior and will enforce training standards in Bahrain’s police force, as well as addressing individual complaints about conduct.
On January 30, the Ministry of Interior approved a new code of conduct for the nation’s police, drafted with the help of foreign security consultants, including former Miami police chief John Timoney and London Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates. The new code incorporates the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the European Code and adopts a “principles-based” approach to police officers’ duties.
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