Foreign AffairsWritten evidence from John Horne, Bahrain Watch

Summary of Submission:

This submission is a response to the request for evidence on UK relations with Bahrain. It raises specific concerns over issues of media and NGO access to Bahrain since the beginning of the uprising in February 2011. Bahrain Watch has been monitoring the increasing difficulty in getting into the country the past year and these are the results of our findings, with specific regard to the UK.

The government of Bahrain has prevented outside scrutiny by restricting or blocking access to over 100 individuals since February 2011. These individuals include representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), alongside journalists, academics, politicians and other professional observers. Despite official pledges to the contrary—most recently at the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review—access has been a problem throughout 2012. Since January 2012, at least 70 individuals have been refused visas, forced to cancel a trip through sudden changes in regulations, or denied entry at Bahrain airport. One-fifth of these cases were British. A further 18 people, including journalists and human rights activists, were deported from Bahrain in 2012.

The restriction of access has several serious consequences: the ability of policy makers and the British public to be fully informed about events on the ground in Bahrain has been significantly limited; credible, independent assessment of the human rights situation is limited; first-hand coverage of events by the mainstream media is severely reduced; the ability of the Bahrain government to manipulate and negotiate access on its terms is greater.

British citizens and residents who publicly criticize the government of Bahrain presently risk being placed on a blacklist, preventing future access to the country, this has put many in the difficult situation of choosing between their right to free speech and the desire to visit the country.

By contrast, British officials have been in regular contact with their Bahraini counterparts, with frequent high-level visits between the two countries. The UK has welcomed Bahraini officials to the country to help facilitate reforms in Bahrain. However, it has failed to put tangible pressure on the Bahrain government to allow outside observers to monitor the reform process and meet with Bahraini officials.

Meetings between British and Bahraini officials are almost never pre-announced, often lack transparency, and rarely, if ever are outcomes of a meeting discussed in any meaningful way. This creates the perception that the UK has something to hide in its dealings with the Bahrain government.

Britain continues to give open access to the UK to Bahraini officials facing serious allegations of human rights abuses. This is a double standard, as it conflicts with the British government’s own policy on access.

This submission recommends that the British government uses its leverage as an ally to apply pressure to the Bahrain government to permit full and unrestricted access to NGOs, journalists, academics, politicians and other observers. It also recommends that the British government operates with more transparency and stronger public diplomacy concerning its dealings with Bahrain. Finally, it recommends that the British government applies the same scrutiny over human rights abuses to Bahraini officials entering the UK as it does with citizens of other countries, such as Syria.

Introduction:

This submission is made by John Horne, a member of the monitoring and advocacy group Bahrain Watch. The all-volunteer group seeks to promote effective, transparent and accountable governance in Bahrain. The submission is based on research from a wider project documenting access restrictions to Bahrain.

Factual Information:

Restrictions of Access by Bahrain

1. The actions taken by the Bahrain government in 2011 in the crackdown against the pro-democracy movement included mass arrests, torture, military tribunals and incitement of sectarian hatred. Many of these violations of human rights were first brought to international attention through the work of journalists and NGOs. They were subsequently officially documented by the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI). The report’s findings were accepted by King Hamad upon its publication in November 2011. Its findings were supplemented by the work of leading NGOs, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, who were not constrained by the parameters of the official inquiry which had been commissioned by the King.

2. On 24 November, 2011, the day after the publication of the BICI report, Bahrain’s Minister of Human Rights and Social Development, Fatima AlBalooshi, assured international organizations that they would always be welcome in the country.1 Similarly, in January, a government spokesperson said that, “Bahrain continues to work closely with the media and to provide them with greater accessibility to cover events in country.”2

3. Despite these and other claims to the contrary, Bahraini authorities have significantly hindered or prevented outside scrutiny in the wake of the BICI report. NGOs, news organizations and other professionals have been denied visas, refused entry at the airport and even arrested and deported whilst working in the country.

4. As part of an ongoing project, Bahrain Watch has been documenting the access restrictions to Bahrain faced by organizations and individuals across the world. Whilst there were access difficulties in 2011, the problem has become even greater throughout 2012. Since January 2012, at least 70 individuals have been refused visas, forced to cancel a trip through sudden changes in regulations, or denied entry at Bahrain airport. These individuals include representatives from 13 separate NGOs and 14 different news organizations, as well as politicians, academics, lawyers, and trade unionists. Some NGOs and individuals have faced multiple cases of access restrictions this year. Bahrain Watch is also aware of at least 4 journalists and 14 human rights activists who have been deported from Bahrain in 2012. These numbers are taken from cases in the public domain. There are likely to be more instances where organizations or individuals have declined to publicize restrictions on their access, or have abandoned prospective plans to visit Bahrain for fears that their visa may be revoked at the last minute, or that they might be denied entry at the border.

5. Despite the UK’s status as a major ally of Bahrain, many British organizations and citizens have had their entry and in-country work impeded by Bahraini authorities. From Britain alone, at least 3 NGOs, 9 journalists, 2 academics and a politician have been prevented entry to Bahrain, or subject to police detention and deportation whilst there, since January 2012. An activist travelling on a British passport was also arrested and deported in February (See Appendix 1 for complete list of British cases).

6. Problems of access continue to the present day. In late September, 23 international observers from trade unions were refused entry. On 18 October 2012, Bahrain’s Minister of Human Rights Affairs, Dr Salah Ali Abdulrahman, said that “the doors of the kingdom were open for all … human rights organizations”.3 However, two weeks later, on 4 November 2012, American NGO Physicians for Human Rights was denied a visa.4 This is in spite of the Bahrain government accepting recommendations requiring the lifting of all access restrictions on NGOs and media at the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review on 19 September (UPR recommendations 115.156 and 115.148).5

7. Access restrictions to Bahrain have occurred at the very highest level. Shortly before UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendez was due to visit Bahrain in March 2012, Bahraini authorities postponed his visit until July. As of the date of this submission, the visit is still yet to take place. Asked in June about the countries which worry him most, Mr Mendez said: “The focuses of greatest concern are those countries which do not invite me, or which do invite me and then cancel, like Bahrain.”6 Three other UN Special Rapporteurs have also made official requests to visit Bahrain in 2011–2, but had received no response from the government as of September 2012.7

8. The British government has acknowledged the problem of access and related restrictions placed on NGOs. In March 2012, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Alistair Burt said that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) knew that some NGOs had “experienced difficulties”. He added, “We encourage the Bahraini authorities to allow international NGOs free entry and access in the country.”8 It is unknown if British officials have explicitly raised the issue of access in meetings with their Bahraini counterparts.

9. The comments by Minister Burt followed a decision by Amnesty International to cancel a planned trip to Bahrain from 2–9 March 2012, because the Bahrain government had imposed new visa restrictions two days before the intended visit. Appeals to the Bahraini Ambassador to the UK were unsuccessful. One of the new restrictions placed on NGOs was to limit all trips to five days, specifically barring access on Fridays and Saturdays when large demonstrations typically occur. Amnesty described the restrictions as having “marked a departure from the access previously enjoyed.”9

10. Two other British NGOs faced similar difficulties in May 2012. Index on Censorship and PEN International were granted visas for a trip to Bahrain from 6–10 May, as part of a six-member delegation to the country. However, Bahraini authorities revoked their visas a week before the planned visit. The NGOs were informed that due to new regulations, only one organization a week was allowed to enter Bahrain. The NGOs were forced to cancel the trip.10

11. British journalists have also been subject to access restrictions throughout 2012, alongside arrest and deportation. In February, a BBC journalist was refused a visa to cover the anniversary of the 2011 uprising. Restrictions on media were especially pronounced during the April 2012 Formula One race in Bahrain when international attention was on the country. Journalists from Sky News, The Financial Times and The Times were denied entry at the airport in Bahrain. Sky News was eventually able to enter Bahrain in October, however their Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsey reports that whilst there, he was “arrested three times in two days.”11 During the week of the Formula One, The Sunday Telegraph’s Chief Foreign Correspondent Colin Freeman managed to enter the country, but was arrested at a checkpoint and taken to a police station where he was held for several hours. On the day of the main race, a three-person crew from Channel 4 News, which included Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jonathan Miller, were arrested from their car. This followed a pursuit by security forces. The crew was held for six hours and then deported. Dr Ala’a Shehabi, a British citizen and a founding member of Bahrain Watch, was arrested along with the crew. Their Bahraini driver was attacked by police before also being arrested.12

12. Bahrain authorities have refused access to other British professionals. In April, Liberal Democrat politician and writer Jonathan Fryer was refused entry to Bahrain at the airport. Officials justified their refusal to admit Fryer by producing printouts of comments he had posted on Twitter in 2011 that were critical of the government crackdown.13 In June, academics from Chatham House and the London School of Economics were denied visas to attend a RUSI/Deresat conference in Bahrain.

13. Alongside these public examples, Bahrain Watch is aware of British citizens who have been confidentially informed that they are probably on a government watchlist and will not be permitted entry to Bahrain, likely as a consequence of their perceived opposition to the government. [***]

14. Strict access restrictions can create a climate in which publicly raising comments critical of the Bahrain government carries the risk of reprisals. Bahrain Watch has been told in confidence that Bahraini embassy officials have on occasion mentioned to individuals their disapproval of certain coverage and associated it with visa approval or denial. Such a climate potentially impacts not only organizations and professionals, but also British citizens with family and friends in Bahrain, as well as Bahrainis who are resident in the UK. This became a particularly acute issue when 31 Bahraini nationals, who were members of the opposition, had their citizenship revoked. This included 10 residents of Britain as well as two former AlWefaq MPs who were in London at the time. The two former MPs did not have another nationality and are now rendered stateless.

Double Standards with Bahrainis’ Access to UK

15. The British government has failed to put clear pressure on the Bahrain authorities to permit access. It has also failed to support those organizations and individuals affected. This opens the British government up to charges of double standards. In contrast to restrictions placed upon British citizens and organizations, the UK Government has granted full access to representatives from Bahrain. This includes the invited Bahraini delegation who attended the September 2011 DSEi arms fair in London, as well as the visit in summer 2012 of Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad AlKhalifa.

16. In late June 2012, the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) provided documents to Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague about Sheikh Nasser, who was travelling to London in his capacity as the head of Bahrain’s Olympic Committee. The documents detailed accusations that he had launched “a punitive campaign to repress Bahraini athletes who had demonstrated their support [for] the peaceful pro-democracy movement”. The documents also contained allegations from individuals that Sheikh Nasser had “personally engaged” in acts of torture. Sheikh Nasser denies the charges against him.14

17. The 2011 Annual Report of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office states: “Britain welcomes visitors from around the world … but not those who have perpetrated human rights abuses. Where there is independent, reliable and credible evidence that an individual has committed human rights abuses, the individual will not normally be permitted to enter the UK.”15 Sheikh Nasser was granted entry to the UK in June 2012 and subsequently throughout the period of the London Olympic Games. The British government has not commented on whether it formally investigated the allegations against him. During his time in London, Sheikh Nasser met with the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, on 18 June. On 22 June, he met with Conor Burns MP (Chair of the UK-Bahrain All-Party Parliamentary Group) and Mark Worthington (private secretary to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher), in the company of former Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Yates (then an advisor to the Bahrain security forces) as well as representatives from the Bahrain Embassy.16

Open Access between British and Bahraini Officials

18. Beyond such specific cases, which can present the perception of double standards, there is also a wider issue concerning the open, high-level access British government officials enjoy with their Bahraini counterparts, and vice versa (see Appendix 2 for a list of meetings). The British government has been keen to show visible support to some aspects of the reform process, for example by inviting the Bahraini Interior Minister and Justice Minister to the UK for information sharing meetings with officials in June and July 2012 respectively. However, it has been more circumspect on pushing for open access to Bahrain, so that the reform process can be scrutinized on the ground. This creates a further risk that the FCO and other government bodies are receiving limited and slanted information on the extent to which reforms are being carried out.

19. Meetings and visits between British and Bahraini officials often lack transparency. A lack of openness from the British government engenders suspicion about their motives. The FCO and Ministry of Defence (MOD) have not always been forthcoming with their itineraries. Members of Parliament have had to question Ministers in order to discover specific details. Even then, the actual content of the meetings is left opaque.17 In contrast, the Bahraini government typically publicizes all such meetings. However, their reporting is not a credible source. For example, when Lord Astor, Under-Secretary of State for Defence, met with the Crown Prince on 23^rd February 2011, a statement issued by Bell Pottinger on behalf of the Bahrain government claimed that “the UK backs all initiatives”. The British government subsequently denied that this was accurate.

20. Significant news concerning the two countries has been reported openly by Bahraini authorities, but not by the British government. For example, a new UK-Bahrain Defence Co-operation Accord was signed at the MOD in London on 11 October 2012, by the British Secretary of State for Defence and the Bahraini Foreign Secretary, with the Crown Prince present. This followed a trip to Bahrain in September by the British Defence Secretary. The Bahrain government reported on both the trip and the defence agreement, however no such details were forthcoming from the British government. The only information from the British government in the public domain has stemmed from questions asked by MPs in the House of Commons.

21. It is understandable that the British government would want to keep certain details of certain meetings private. However, Britain’s current public diplomacy regarding Bahrain creates the perception that the UK has something to hide. This is exacerbated by the fact that some of the official visits have been in the context of possible arms and military sales, such as the trip by Under-Secretary of State for Defence Lord Astor to the Bahrain International Airshow in January 2012, where he met with the Prime Minister, Crown Prince and other officials. There are few available details about the meetings, or the wider British government presence at the Airshow.

22. Official transparency is particularly needed during the current period in UK-Bahrain relations, especially given the issue of how historic political access to Bahrain has been financially supported. Between 2009 and 2010, twelve Members of Parliament travelled to Bahrain on trips paid for in part or in full by the Bahrain government (See Appendix 3). Several of these MPs, then in opposition, now hold senior government positions. These include Foreign Secretary William Hague and his Private Parliamentary Secretary Keith Simpson MP, as well as Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan. In July 2009, Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox (then Shadow Defence Secretary) also received expenses from the Bahrain government to fund a trip to meet with King Hamad.

Recommendations

23. The British government should:

use its leverage as an ally to apply pressure on the Bahrain government to allow unrestricted access to NGOs, journalists and other observers.

support British NGOs, media organizations and individuals who are trying to gain access to Bahrain by advocating to the Bahrain government on their behalf if requested.

provide guidance, consular support and easily accessible instructions through the British Embassy in Bahrain for NGOs and individuals who are refused entry to Bahrain at the airport, or arrested whilst working in the country.

operate with more transparency and stronger public diplomacy concerning official government dealings with Bahrain.

monitor reports by Bahraini authorities of official meetings and respond publicly to any inaccuracies where wrong claims of British official comments are made

apply the same scrutiny over human rights abuses to Bahraini officials entering the UK as it does with citizens of other countries.

APPENDIX 1:

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS FACED BY BRITISH ORGANIZATIONS AND CITIZENS SINCE JANUARY 2012

NGOs:

Amnesty International: Forced to cancel a trip planned for 2–9 March 2012 after the Bahrain government imposed new visa restrictions two days before the intended visit. Appeals to the Bahraini Ambassador to the UKwere unsuccessful.18

Index on Censorship and PEN International: Initially granted visas for 6–10 May 2012, as part of a six-member international delegation affiliated with the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX). A week before the trip, the visas were revoked. The NGOs were informed that due to new visa regulations, visits were being restricted to only one organization a week.19

Media:

BBC: Middle East Producer Cara Swift was denied a visa to cover the anniversary of 14 February 2011 uprising because of the “high volume of requests”.20

Sky News: Stuart Ramsey and Matog Saleh were denied entry at the airport on 19 April 2012, to report on Bahrain during the F1 weekend.21 They were eventually granted access in October, when Ramsey reports that he was “arrested three times in two days”.22

Financial Times: Simeon Kerr was denied entry at airport on 19 April 2012 to report during F1 weekend.23

The Times: Karen Lee was denied entry to report during F1.24

Reuters: Andrew Hammond was denied a visa to report during F1 weekend.25

The Sunday Telegraph: Chief Foreign Correspondent Colin Freeman was arrested at a checkpoint outside Sanabis on 22 April 2012 and taken to a police station. He was released a few hours later.26

Channel 4 News: Jonathan Miller, Joe Sheffer and Dave Fuller were arrested on 22 April 2012 from their car, following a pursuit by security forces. They were held for six hours and deported.27 Dr Ala’a Shehabi, British citizen and founding member of Bahrain Watch, was arrested along with the crew. The Bahraini driver was beaten by police.

Academics:

Dr Jane Kinninmont (Chatham House) was denied a visa to attend the RUSI/Deresat conference in June 2012.28

Dr Kristian Ulrichsen (London School of Economics) was denied a visa to attend the RUSI/Deresat conference in June 2012.29

Politicians:

Jonathan Fryer, writer and Liberal Democrat politician, was refused entry at Bahrain airport on 2 April 2012. Officials produced printouts of tweets he had made in 2011 critical of the government crackdown as reason for the refusal.30

Activists:

Elaine Murtagh was deported from Bahrain on 17 February 2012, after spending a week living in villages then leading a protest of women.31

APPENDIX 2:

OFFICIAL TRIPS BETWEEN UK AND BAHRAIN FROM FEBRUARY 2011 TO OCTOBER 2012

The following is taken from public sources and is likely to be incomplete.

23 February 2011 in Bahrain

Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Defence Lord Astor met the Crown Prince. A statement issued by Bell Pottinger claiming Lord Astor said “the UK backs all initiatives” by the Bahrain Government was later denied by the UK.32 Then Defence Secretary Liam Fox had spoken to the Crown Prince by phone on 22nd February 2011.33

3 April 2011 in Bahrain

Secretary of State for Defence Liam Fox met with King Hamad and the Crown Prince.34

15 April in UK

Prince Andrew, Duke of York (then a special representative for British trade) met with the Crown Prince.35

20 April in UK

Lord Mayor of London Alderman Michael met with Bahrain Finance Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa.36

17 May 2011 in Bahrain

Defence Senior Adviser Middle East, Lieutenant General Simon Mayall met with BDF Commander in Chief Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.37

19 May 2011 in UK

Prime Minister David Cameron met with the Crown Prince.38

31 May 2011 in UK

Secretary of State for Defence Liam Fox met with the Crown Prince and the Deputy Supreme Commander of Bahrain’s Armed Forces.39

13-16 September 2011 in UK

After being invited, Bahrain officials attend the major British arms fair, DSEi 2011.40

12 December 2011 in UK

Prime Minister David Cameron met with King Hamad.41

12-13 December 2011 in Bahrain

Undersecretary of State for FCO Alistair Burt MP met the Crown Prince, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister “and other key interlocuters”. He also met “with representatives from the opposition, business, media and civil society, including those concerned with human rights.”42

13 December 2011 in UK

King Hamad of Bahrain met with:

Charles, Prince of Wales.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London.

Conor Burns MP and members of the UK-Bahrain All Party Parliamentary Group.

Baroness Morris and Baroness Symons.43

Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa attended the meetings.

21 December 2011 in Bahrain

Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex attended a banquet at the King of Bahrain’s palace.44

19 January 2012 in Bahrain

Undersecretary of State for Defence Lord Astor met the Prime Minister, Crown Prince, Foreign Minister and Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, during the time of the Bahrain International Airshow. General Simon Mayall attended the meeting with the BDF Commander-in-Chief.45

19 March 2012 in Bahrain

Attorney General Dominic Grieve met with King Hamad, Deputy Premier Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa and Public Prosecutor Dr. Ali bin Fadhl Al-buainain.46

5 April 2012 in UK

Undersecretary of State for FCO Alistair Burt MP met Sheikh Ahmed bin Atiyatallah Al Khalifa, the Bahraini Minister for Follow Up at the Royal Court.47

18 May 2012 in UK

King Hamad and his wife attended the Queens Jubilee dinner.48

11-12 June 2012 in Bahrain

Undersecretary of State for FCO Alistair Burt MP met the Crown Prince, the First Deputy Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Interior Minister and Minister for the Royal Court “as well as representatives from Bahrain’s political parties and opposition groups”.49

18 June 2012 in UK

London Mayor Boris Johnson met with Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad AlKhalifa, President of Bahrain Olympic Committee.50

21 June 2012 in UK

Bahrain Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa attends a joint UK-GCC meeting, hosted by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.51

22 June 2012 in UK

Conor Burns MP (Chair of the UK-Bahrain All Party Parliamentary Grouup) and Mark Worthington (Personal secretary to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher) met with Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad AlKhalifa in the company of former Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Yates (then advisor to the Bahrain security forces) as well as representatives from the Bahrain Embassy.52

27-28 June 2012 in UK

On a two-day visit, Bahrain Interior Minister Lt-General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa met with:

Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Lord Howell.

Director General of MI5 Jonathan Evans.

Home Office Minister James Brokenshire.

Northern Ireland Minister Hugo Swire.

Attorney-General Dominic Grieve.

House of Commons Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans.

President of the Conservative Party’s Middle East Council Baroness Morris.

Shadow Attorney-General Baroness Patricia Scotland.

Deputy Spokesperson for Defense, Equality, Energy and Climate Change in North Ireland Jeffrey Donaldson.

Also present at the talks were John Yates, four senior Bahraini officials and Bahrain’s Ambassador to Britain, Alice Samaan.53

7 July 2012 in UK

Bahrain Justice Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa met with:

(then) British Justice Secretary Ken Clarke.

Attorney General Dominic Grieve.

Undersecretary of State for FCO Alistair Burt.

Members of the UK-Bahrain All-Party Parliamentary Group.

Members of the British Supreme Court Lord Phillips and Lord Hope.

Director General of the Mercantile Court in London.

Prisons Inspector General.

Representatives of non-government organisations.54

c.27 July—c.12 August in UK

Sheikh Nasser was present in the UK during this period as President of Bahrain Olympic Committee. The Bahrain Foreign Minister attended the Olympics opening ceremony on 27 July.

29 July 2012 in UK

A delegation of Bahraini parliamentarians attends a workshop organized under the auspices of the International Parliament Union.55

30 July 2012 in UK

At the invitation of UK Minister for Trade and Investment Lord Green, Bahrain Culture Minister Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa attended the Global Business Summit on Creative Services.56

23 August 2012 in UK

Prime Minister David Cameron met with King Hamad.57

10 September 2012 in Bahrain

Secretary of State for Defence Philip Hammond met with King Hamad and the Crown Prince. The King also hosted a banquet was held for him and his delegation. Hammond was accompanied by “one member of private office staff and a special adviser”. General Simon Mayall attended some meetings “in his role as defence senior adviser middle east”. Simon Mayall also met with the Interior Minister.58

11 September 2012 in Bahrain

Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Inspector General Major General Abdullah Hassan Al Nuaimi and senior BDF officers in the company of British Ambassador Iain Lindsay.59

12 September 2012 in Bahrain

Democratic Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson and Kingsley Donaldson met with Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa.60

7 October 2012 in Bahrain

General Simon Mayall met with the Bahrain Defence Forces Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.61

11 October 2012 in UK

Foreign Secretary William Hague met with the Crown Prince.62

Secretary of State for Defence Philip Hammond signed a UK-Bahrain Defence Accord with Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa. Bahrain’s Crown Prince and other Bahraini officials were present.63

14 October 2012

The Crown Prince attended the annual banquet at Sandhurst Military Academy. General Simon Mayall was in attendance.64

APPENDIX 3

Visits to Bahrain made by politicians between 2009–2010 which were paid for in full or in part by the Bahrain government.

The following information is taken from the House of Commons Register of Members Financial Interests.65

21–25 February 2009

Michael Howard MP (former Conservative Party leader) had airfare and accommodation paid by the Government of Bahrain to attend a conference “on the security of the region”.

23–26 February 2009

Adam Ingram MP (then former Defence and Northern Ireland Secretary) had business class airfare and three-nights accommodation funded by Government of Bahrain and RUSI to attend Bahrain Security Forum.

13–16 March 2009

The Gulf Policy Forum organized a four-day visit, accommodation and flights paid for by the Government of Bahrain. The delegation included:

Gulf Policy Forum Chairman Michael Ancram MP (now Lord Lothian), who then sat on the Intelligence and Security Committee.

Alan Duncan MP (then Shadow Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Minister, currently Minister of State for International Development).

Keith Simpson MP (then Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, currently Private Parliamentary Secretary to the Foreign Secretary).

Gilesa Stuart MP.

7–10 June 2009

John Reid MP (then former Defence, Northern Ireland, Health and Home Secretary) had travel and accommodation paid for by the Government of Bahrain for “discussions with government ministers and officials”.

21–23 July 2009

Liam Fox MP (then Shadow Defence Secretary, was Defence Secretary from May 2010—October 2011) received £1,400 from the Government of Bahrain for two nights accommodation to “meet with the King of Bahrain”.

9–11 January 2010

William Hague MP (then Shadow Foreign Secretary; Foreign Secretary since May 2010) received £1,115 for two nights hotel accommodation “to meet the Foreign Minister of Bahrain”.

21–25 October 2010

Three members of the UK-Bahrain All-Party Parliamentary Group had flights and accommodation paid for by the Government of Bahrain to meet with Ministers and observe the elections. The trip, by Chair Conner Burns MP and vice-chairs Priti Patel MP and Thomas Doherty MP, was facilitated by PR company Gardant Communications, who then acted as a secretariat for the APPG.66

[***] = redacted by agreement with the author

19 November 2012

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