Human Rights Watch has denounced the government of Bahrain for a violent crackdown on pro-reform protesters since February. In a statement, Human Rights Watch calls on Bahrain to “end unlawful and incommunicado detention, to free protesters unless legitimate criminal charges can be brought against them, and allow monitoring by independent human rights organizations.” The group also suggests at least a partial U.S. role in the crackdown by ignoring abuses of human rights. Bahrain is a key U.S. government ally and home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.