Following the release of a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report assessing the human rights situation in Bahrain, MEPs are calling for an urgent rethink of relations between the EU and the Gulf states. Ten detainees interviewed by HRW had been subjected to electric shocks, suspension in painful positions, forced standing, extreme cold, and sexual abuse. They reported that government interrogators boasted of their reputation for inflicting pain on detainees. MEPs said that given the unrest and violence in the Middle East, it is key that Bahraini authorities accept their responsibilities and work on democratic reform, calling on the Bahraini government to investigate all allegations immediately. All of the EU's ‘international partners’ must adhere to the same high standards of human rights as the EU, and any accusations of torture must be taken seriously. HRW said there is still a ‘culture of impunity’ among security forces, which has not yet been tackled.