Press releases
Bahraini king's attendance at Windsor Horse Show must not distract from human rights
‘Equestrian fun and frolics should not distract the world from the reality of the human rights situation in Bahrain’ - Allan Hogarth
Ahead of Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s attendance at the Royal Windsor Horse Show this weekend, Amnesty International UK’s Head of Policy and Government Affairs Allan Hogarth said:
“Attending things like international horse shows is all part of Bahrain’s campaign to present an image of normality to the world.“Equestrian fun and frolics should not distract the world from the reality of the human rights situation in Bahrain.“Rather than Windsor’s salmon sandwiches and flutes of champagne, the reality for people back in Bahrain is restrictions on free expression and long prison sentences for peaceful protesters.”
A number of human rights activists in Bahrain - including high-profile figures like Nabeel Rajab and Abdelhadi Al-Khawaja - and hundreds of other political prisoners are languishing in prison solely because they have peacefully led or called for anti-government protests.
In late 2011 a report by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry - which had been established by the Bahraini government - found that the Bahraini authorities had been responsible for gross human rights violations in their response to demonstrations in the country in 2011. It made a series of recommendations including calling on the authorities to bring to account those responsible for human rights abuses and to carry out independent investigations into allegations of torture and other violations. However, there has been very little progress in ending impunity for past violations, with a host of victims and their families still awaiting justice for past killings and torture