Six human rights organisations have written to French President François Hollande, following his meeting last week with Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, EA Worldview has reported.

Human Rights Watch, International Federation of Human (FIDH), Amnesty international France, Reporters without Borders, Human Rights League and Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT) all expressed their concern over the "quasi-secret character" of Monday's meeting between the two officials.

"We are concerned about the quasi-secret character of this meeting and we wonder if it reflects an intent to avoid commenting on the deterioration and the gravity of the human rights situation in Bahrain today."

In the letter the six organisations note that no official announcement was made and journalists were also not aware of the meeting.

"This visit was not announced on the Elysée’s website and no official statement was issued by your office after the meeting. Apparently, journalists were also not aware of this meeting," the letter read.

"This visit could have been a timely opportunity to express publicly as well as to King Hamad directly France's concerns about the human rights situation in Bahrain," it continued.

The six human rights organisations called on the president's office to issue an official statement "clarifying France’s stance in the meeting with King Hamad, and to state clearly that France deplores Bahrain’s failure to date to implement the most important recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry" including releasing those jailed for exercising their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.

Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), established in June 2011 by King Hamad, was tasked with looking into human rights abuses during the period of unrest in Bahrain in February and March 2011.