Police investigates MP’s rants on Bahraini, UK urged to pressure Saudis
Scotland Yard is investigating an allegation of racial abuse after Beckenham Tory MP Bob Stewart told an activist to “go back to Bahrain” during a confrontation. It happened on 16th December outside Lancaster House where the khalifi regime was holding its annual reception to mark the enthroning one of its despots in 1961. Mr Stewart lashed out at the protesters using inappropriate language. Since then the British press have published several articles about the MP’s verbal attack which has exposed the lack of morality or humanity among some right-wing MPs. The Independent, The Daily Mail, The Guardian and the BBC reported on the incident. Today The Times newspaper said: Bob Stewart made the remarks to Sayed Alwadaei, who has been imprisoned and tortured for protesting at human rights abuses in the Middle Eastern country. Stewart, the MP for Beckenham since 2010, apologised and denied that his comments were racist, arguing that he was suggesting the activist should be campaigning in Bahrain. A video made last Wednesday shows him telling Alwadaei that he is “taking money off my country” as the activist challenges him on his ties with Bahrain. Stewart says: “Get stuffed. Bahrain is a great place, end of. Go away, I hate you . . . go back to Bahrain.”
Last month Bob Stewart went on a trip to Bahrain, apparently paid for by the regime’s London embassy. He attended an air show and met the regime’s foreign minister. He had made similar trips to the country which were also sponsored by the khalifi regime in 2021 and 2016.
On 15 December 2022, the European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted an urgent resolution on Bahrain calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Danish-Bahraini citizen Abdul-Hadi Al-Khawaja, other prisoners of conscience, and death row inmates in Bahrain as well as the end of the use of the death penalty. The resolution was adopted by 316 votes in favour, 6 against with 38 abstentions. The passing of the resolution came despite serious attempts by the Embassy of Bahrain in Brussels to influence MEPs by smearing Al-Khawaja and sharing private and confidential information about him. Their efforts backfired disastrously as they proved beyond any reasonable doubt that the khalifis are vicious dictators who are not open to debate or moderate demands.
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Dowler expressed relief at the resolution. She tweeted: I’m glad to hear @Europarl_EN today debates a resolution on Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja. I have received disturbing reports of pushback by some MEPs. This is not an ambiguous issue: Al-Khawaja is an EU citizen, imprisoned and tortured in #Bahrain for his human rights work. The khalifi foreign affairs ministry rejected the resolution issued by the European Parliament regarding the case of the most prominent human rights activist in the region. Abdul Hadi Al-khawaja has been in jail for almost 12 years for advocating the need for political change in the country.
On 17th December young native Bahraini political prisoner, Sadeq Jaffar Ali Al Madani died as a result of medical negligence by the prison officers. He was released only three days before his death when his condition had become hopeless. When in jail Sadeq would call his family and ask them to send an ambulance to the notorious Jau prison, knowing that the regime’s officials would not let him use it. His condition deteriorated and when it became clear that he had no chance of recovery he was released to spend the last three days of his life with his family and to be added to the long list of the Bahraini martyrs.
A letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights about the deteriorating health of Mr Hassan Mushaima has been signed by the jailed political leaders. Among them were Abdul Wahab Hussain, Sheikh Ali Salman, Sheikh Abdul Hadi AlMokhowdar and others. It is a powerful indictment of the khalifi regime by the most senior political figures who have been under systematic persecution since their detention twelve years ago. It called for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Mushaima and the rest of political prisoners.
Detained Saudi activist Essa al-Nukheifi remains forcibly disappeared since 15 October, when he started a hunger strike. He was protesting the regime’s refusal to release him from jail, having served an earlier prison sentence. His family have not been allowed any contact with him or receive news of his fate.
Kuwaiti player Osama Bu-rahma has pulled out of the Asian Triathlon Championship held in Bahrain to avoid facing an Israeli player. His decision was praised by most Bahrainis who have been outraged by the khalifi treachery through their normalisation policy with the occupiers of Palestine.
In a new policy paper, the Saudi NGO Alqst has urged the UK government to respond positively to parliamentary calls for more resolute public and private pressure on the Saudi authorities to respect and promote human rights and hold the perpetrators of abuse accountable. This should include bilateral action, such as sanctioning Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman under the UK Global Human Rights regime, and action through multilateral fora, such as supporting proposals at the UN Human Rights Council to establish a UN monitoring mechanism to report and advise on human rights in Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
21st December 2022
