UK ministers embrace Bahrain’s torture minister, Saudi detainees denied rights
Human rights activists and decent pro-democracy campaigners have expressed indignation at the UK officials who continue to support the khalifi torture regime of Bahrain. The latest is Lord Ahmed of Wimbledon, the Foreign Office minister who tweeted yesterday: “Productive meeting with Bahrain Minister of Interior, HE Sheikh Rashid Al Khalifa the minister of the interior of Bahrain. We discussed issues including Bahrain’s positive security and justice reforms. The UK looks forward to supporting further initiatives with our close partner and friend.” Baroness Natalie Bennett tweeted in response: Really?! What about Human Rights and Rule of Law? Ministry of the Interior is directly responsible for the bloody crackdown against protestors in 2011, the murder of 5 protestors in 2017, executing dissidents and torture in Bahrain.” Human Rights activists consider him guilty of directing a massive programme of torture that resulted in the death of activists inside jails including Karim Fakhrawi, Zakariya Al Ashiri and Ali Saqr. They are calling for his arrest and trial for committing crimes against humanity. But it is clear that the senior British politicians do not criminalise torture. The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) tweeted: “UK Ministers should not be hosting leading figures from regimes which continue to torture and imprison political opponents. It is high time the Bahraini regime was called to account for its human rights abuses, not given the red-carpet treatment in Whitehall.” The khalifi interior minister was also met by the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman who appeared with him in a photo that disgusted his torture victims and human rights activists.
On 19th April native Bahraini Sadiq Al-Nisk was detained on the causeway connecting Bahrain with Saudi Arabia. The arrest was based on a warrant issued last March. The victim holds views on human rights and political change that the khalifis reject. Regime’s forces have extended the detention of the renowned eulogist, Abdul Amir Al Biladi for 15 more days for reciting a poem against the occupation of Palestine. He was detained more than a week ago for this “crime”. Poets, novelists and historians are targeted for holding different narratives.
The UN Working Group for Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) have found the detention of Bahraini human rights defender, Naji Fateel arbitrary. He was arrested in 2013, forcibly disappeared, tortured, denied access to his lawyer and convicted in an unfair trial. WGAD said he must be immediately, unconditionally released.
At the notorious Jau prison the health of the leading opposition activist, Abdulwahab Husain is rapidly deteriorating. He faces serious medical negligence and is deprived of appointments in external hospitals, putting his life at risk. Despite his age (68) and his urgent need for crutches, officials have imposed the punitive measure of denying him medical care. Mr Hussain led the first protest of the Revolution when he emerged at 7 am on 14th February 2011 with about 100 people to launch the country’s largest ever revolt against the hereditary dictatorship.
It has now been more than 20 days since Bahraini political prisoner Muhammad Hassan Al-Raml started his hunger strike in protest over medical negligence, but the prison authorities are continuing to ignore his appeals for treatment. The 63-year-old’s health is worsening, with his blood sugar dropping to dangerously low levels. Al-Raml had already been suffering from a number of illnesses. His daughter, Fatima, has repeatedly appealed for his release so that he may receive proper treatment that he cannot get inside prison.
It is seven years since Saudi preacher Sulaiman al-Dowaish was forcibly disappeared. When his son, Malik talked about the detention of his father he was arrested in September 2022 in reprisal for his advocacy for his father; his whereabouts are not known. Six months ago, Mohammad al-Qahtani was detained and forcibly disappeared. His crime? Founding Saudi Arabia’s first civil and political rights organisation. His wife Maha and kids have been waiting a lifetime for him to be released, now they don’t even know where he is.
Saudi authorities have condemned 64 prisoners to death, 37 of whom face imminent beheading and crucifixion. In April 2019 Munir Al Adam was killed after he lost his hearing as a result of torture.
Two British journalists, Iain Overton and Max Colber have uncovered £2 million donations from Gulf states accused of human rights abuses in February. Out of this sum £231,000 was from Bahrain. Much was paid to MPs on APPGs, with 59 of 160 MPs accepting donations sitting on a related one (James Sunderland, MP is on the Bahrain APPG. He was the guest of Bahrain’s government in March. He registered £9500 paid by the regime for that trip). Analysis by Byline Times newspaper reveals Conservative MPs make up the majority of those in receipt – as post-Brexit trading opportunities appear to be trumping ethical concerns for the Government.
Bahrain Freedom Movement
26th April 2023