The below letter was published in the Guardian on April 12, 2019.
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We, the undersigned, write to express our deep concern for the family of Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD).
Mr Alwadaei was granted refugee status in the UK in 2012 in recognition of the dangers he faced in Bahrain. While in London, Mr Alwadaei has continued to fight for the rights of torture victims and prisoners sentenced to death for peacefully protesting against the Bahraini regime.
The family of Mr Alwadaei has been subjected to numerous human rights violations by the Bahraini authorities in response to BIRD’s work, including arbitrary detention, unfair trial and torture or other ill treatment.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Mr Alwadaei’s family were “deprived of their liberty, interrogated and prosecuted for their family ties with Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei and that these were acts of reprisal”. The Bahraini Government responded with a smear campaign of false and misleading information about Mr. Alwadaei and his family.
Such abuse is a patent attempt to intimidate Mr Alwadaei to prevent him from continuing his work. This has been condemned by over 80 Members of the UK Parliament.
The British Government has repeatedly committed to support human rights defenders.It must condemn the persecution of Mr Alwadaei and his family, assert his right to criticise abuses in Bahrain, and advocate for the release of his unlawfully detained family members. Security assistance to Bahrain should be conditional on Bahrain’s adherence to its international human rights obligations.
Signed,
NGOs/Lawyers
Maya Foa, Director, Reprieve
Kate Allen, UK Director, Amnesty International
Jodie Ginsberg, CEO, Index on Censorship
Antonia Byatt, Director, English PEN
Rebecca Vincent, UK Bureau Director, Reporters Without Borders
Rowan Kinchin, Director, Campaign Against Arms Trade
Jago Russell, Chief Executive, Fair Trials
Saloua Ghazouani Oueslati, MENA Director, ARTICLE 19
Rupert Skilbeck, Director, REDRESS
Joe Stork, Chair of the Advisory Board, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights
Husain Abdulla, Executive Director, ADHRB
Brian Dooley, Human Rights Campaigner
Stephen Cragg QC, acting Chair on behalf of Bar Human Rights Committee
Stephen Knafler QC, Barrister, Landmark Chambers
David Lock QC, Barrister, Landmark Chambers
Tim Buley, Barrister, Landmark Chambers
Jane Deighton, Founding partner, Deighton Pierce Glynn
Daniel Carey, Partner, Deighton Pierce Glynn
Tim Cooke-Hurle, Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers
Kirsty Brimelow QC, Doughty Street Chambers
Chris Henley QC, Carmelite Chambers, Chairman, the Criminal Bar Association
Sheona York, Clinic solicitor and Reader in Law, University of Kent
Angela Jackman, Senior Lecturer, City Law School
Dr Sam Raphael, Senior Lecturer, International Relations, the University of Westminster
Tony Fisher, Senior Partner, Fisher Jones Greenwood
Professor Juan E. Mendez, Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture
Martyn Day, Founder, Leigh Day
Astrid Perry, Associate Solicitor, Leigh Day
Saimo Chahal QC, Joint Head of Public Law and Human Rights Team, Bindmans LLP
Dan Squires QC, Barrister, Matrix Chambers
Samantha Knights QC, Refugee & human rights barrister, Matrix Chambers
Hugh Southey QC, Human rights barrister, Matrix Chambers
Daniel Machover, Head of Civil Department, Hickman & Rose Solicitor
MPs
Alex Norris MP, Labour, Nottingham North
Alistair Carmichael MP, Liberal Democrat, Orkney and Shetland
Andy Slaughter MP, Labour, Hammersmith
Angus MacNeil MP, SNP, Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Caroline Lucas MP, Green Party, Brighton Pavilion
Catherine West MP, Labour, Hornsey and Wood Green
Chris Law MP, SNP, Dundee West
Christine Jardine MP, Liberal Democrat, Edinburgh West
Fiona Bruce MP, Conservative, Congleton
Ian Blackford MP, SNP, Westminster leader
Jim Cunningham MP, Labour, Coventry South
Jo Swinson MP, Liberal Democrat, East Dunbartonshire
Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP, Labour, Brighton Kemptown
Lord Scriven, Liberal Democrat
Martyn Day MP, SNP, Linlithgow and East Falkirk
Matt Western MP, Labour, Warwick and Leamington
Philippa Whitford MP, SNP, Central Ayrshire
Sir Ed Davey MP, Liberal Democrat, Kingston and Surbiton
Sir Peter Bottomley MP, Conservative, Worthing West
Stephen Gethins MP, SNP, North East Fife
Stuart McDonald MP, SNP, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
Tom Brake MP, Liberal Democrat, Carshalton and Wallington
