- Protest outside Bahrain embassy in London this morning, calling on regime to end attacks on the family of Sayed Alwadaei, a UK citizen that has been targeted by the regime.
- Hearing of Nabeel Rajab tomorrow in Bahrain – a prominent human rights campaigner that faces 15 years in jail for Tweeting.
- The UK has licensed over £80 million worth of arms to Bahrain since uprising began in February 2011.
Campaigners have protested outside the Bahrain embassy in London to call on the Bahraini regime to end reprisal attacks against the family of Sayed Alwadaei, a prominent Bahrini human rights campaigner living in exile in the UK, and the release of imprisoned campaigner Nabeel Rajab. Sayed is the Director of Advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy.
Sayed fled Bahrain in 2011, after being tortured for his part in peaceful protests against the ongoing crackdown. Over recent months, three of his relatives have been sentenced to three years in prison, following trumped-up charges and confessions made under torture.
Tomorrow will see the appeal hearing of Nabeel Rajab in Bahrain, when his appeal against a two-year conviction for “spreading fake news” in interviews to journalists is expected to be ruled on. Rajab is a high profile human rights campaigner and president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, who also faces up to 15 years in prison for Tweets he has published criticising the war in Yemen and exposing torture in Bahrain’s Jau Prison, where he is currently serving his sentence.
Sayed Alwadaei, who was in attendance at this morning’s protest, said:
The imprisonment of my family is a cowardly attack on human rights defenders. I believe the Bahraini Ambassador has direct responsibility for their imprisonment and torture, which is the latest in a campaign of reprisals that has affected my entire family.
If it cares for the rights of Bahraini people, then the UK government must tell its repressive ally that this violent campaign to silence us in unacceptable. My presence at the protest today is to send a message that I won’t be silenced and will not rest until my family members are freed and those responsible for their torture are held to account.
Last week, Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington wrote to the Foreign Secretary warning him that the Bahrain Embassy in London has been “colluding” in reprisals against Sayed Alwadaei. Brake called on Boris Johnson to summon the ambassador, saying, “I hope that you will agree that the reprisals against Mr Alwadaei and his family must immediately cease, and an apology issued from the Bahrain Embassy in London to the Alwadaei family for its conduct should be expected and will be encouraged by your department.”
Despite the ongoing repression and attacks on human rights, the UK has continued to arm and support the Bahraini regime. Since the uprising began in February 2011, the UK has licensed £81 million worth of arms to the regime, including aircraft components, rifles and ammunition.
Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said:
The attacks on Sayed Alwadaei, Nabeel Rajab and other campaigners have been disgraceful. The regime has an appalling human rights record and should be condemned for its attacks, not armed and supported by Downing Street and Whitehall. It’s time for the UK to stand up for democracy and end its uncritical political and military support for the Bahraini dictatorship.
ENDS
For further information please contact Andrew at media(at)caat·org·uk or call 020 7281 0297.
