The UN Human Rights Council elections page has revealed that Bahrain will not run for membership of the international human rights organization, which is scheduled for later this month, after critics pointed to human rights violations.

On September 26, Bahrain withdrew its candidacy for a three-year seat on the Geneva council without giving details.

A Bahraini government spokesman told Reuters in a statement that the delay in the Gulf state’s candidacy “was the result of ongoing consultations with its geographic group”, calling it normal practice.

He added: “Bahrain continues to fully support the Human Rights Council, to which it was elected three times, and will continue to work with other UN member states to advance global best practices in the field of human rights.”

Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based, imprisoned thousands of protesters, journalists and activists – some in massive trials – after the 2011 anti-government uprising. Bahrain says it only prosecutes those who committed crimes and that trials are conducted in accordance with international law and rejects any criticism from the nations of the United States and others regarding the conduct of trials and conditions of detention.

According to a United Nations report released last month, a memorandum circulated to council members by the London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy speaks of arbitrary arrests and reprisals against individuals.

The Institute, a non-profit organization, also held a series of meetings with officials and diplomats at the United Nations in August, urging countries not to support Bahrain. “We are very pleased with Bahrain’s departure after our effective campaign in Geneva against their candidacy,” said Syed Ahmed Alwadai, director of the Bahrain Institute.

In the scorecard published by the International Service for Human Rights, Bahrain received a green score on only three out of 16 criteria, one of the lowest scores among candidate countries.