Bahrain ( Protesters 31 of them - Stripped of citizenship ) see photo

Bahrain accused of failing to follow through political reforms

Bahrain's leaders hit back against criticism by a leading rights group that the Gulf state has failed to follow through with promised political and security reforms in the wake of the kingdom's anti-government uprising.

More than 55 people have been killed in clashes between Bahraini authorities and Shiite-led protesters Photo: REUTERS

3:53PM GMT 22 Nov 2012

Authorities cited a series of measures taken since an independent report on the crisis came out last November, including giving more oversight to parliament.

Amnesty International says any progress has been overshadowed by harsh steps recently in attempts to quell the 21-month-old protests, including a ban on demonstrations and stripping 31 activists of citizenship.

"Bahrain is facing a stark choice between the rule of law or sliding into a downward spiral of repression and instability," Amnesty said in a report, issued on the anniversary of the independent fact-finding inquiry into Bahrain's unrest.

The inquiry, led by Egyptian-born legal scholar Mahmoud Cherif Bassiouni, called for sweeping overhauls in Bahrain's political system and investigations into alleged abuses by security forces after protests began in February 2011.

More than 55 people have been killed in clashes between Bahraini authorities and Shiite-led protesters demanding a greater political voice in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.