CAT/C/BHR/CO/2-3 regarding the outcome of their activities. The Committee is further concerned about the loopholes in the existing complaints mechanisms whereby prison inmates have to submit complaints regarding torture or ill-treatment through prison wardens, the prison Director or Deputy Director, which does not guarantee that the complaints will be submitted to the competent authorities (arts. 2, 4, 11-14 and 16). 29. The State party should: (a) Ensure that all mechanisms empowered to consider complaints by pretrial detainees and convicted prisoners in all places of detention are independent; (b) Ensure that all reports of torture or ill-treatment are investigated promptly, effectively and impartially by an independent mechanism in which there is no institutional or hierarchical connection between the investigators and the alleged perpetrators; (c) Ensure that all persons under investigation for having committed acts of torture or ill-treatment are immediately suspended from their duties and remain so throughout the investigation, while ensuring that the principle of presumption of innocence is observed; (d) Facilitate the submission of complaints by victims of torture and illtreatment, including by obtaining medical evidence in support of their allegations from competent and independent doctors, in keeping with the Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the Istanbul Protocol); (e) Ensure in practice that complainants in all places of detention are protected against any reprisals as a consequence of their complaint. Monitoring of places of detention 30. While noting that visits to places of detention can be undertaken by the President of the Supreme Court of Appeal, the President of the High Criminal Court, the sentencing judge, the President of the Juvenile Court, the public prosecution and the accountability mechanisms created pursuant to the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, the Committee is concerned that law enforcement and prison officials continue to engage in conduct that is contrary to the Convention (arts. 2, 11 and 16). 31. The State party should: (a) Ensure that an effective and independent monitoring system regularly inspects all places of detention, without prior notice, and is able to meet in private with detainees, receive complaints and conduct investigations into alleged conduct by law enforcement and prison officials that is contrary to the Convention; (b) Strengthen cooperation with the United Nations human rights mechanisms by permitting visits as soon as possible by special procedure mandate holders who have requested them, in conformity with the revised terms of reference for country visits by special procedure mandate holders of the United Nations Human Rights Council (based on E/CN.4/1998/45, appendix V); (c) Consider ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, which provides for international and national mechanisms for the prevention of torture in places where persons are deprived of their liberty. Reprisals and alleged torture and ill-treatment of human rights defenders and journalists 32. The Committee remains concerned at numerous and consistent allegations of serious acts of intimidation, reprisals, threats, revocation of citizenship as a reprisal and arrests and arbitrary imprisonment of human rights defenders, journalists and their relatives in retaliation for their work. It is also concerned that many such individuals have reportedly faced arrest on criminal charges and have been placed on trial without due process of law 8