Thank you for contacting me about the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the UK, Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.
You may be interested to know that a parliamentary question has already been tabled on this issue, and the Ministerial response confirmed that, as per its standard practice, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office thoroughly reviews each State’s appointee as Head of Mission.
As you may be aware, Bahrain remains a human rights priority country for the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and I am assured that where the UK has concerns on human rights, it raises them with the Government of Bahrain at the highest levels, both publicly and privately.
The UK and Bahrain have an open dialogue which enables us to raise our concerns, including on individual cases, through private and senior channels. Where we have concerns the Government will raise them at a senior level with the Government of Bahrain.
In particular, the UK remains firmly opposed to the death penalty. It is long-standing policy of opposing capital sentences in all circumstances, and this point has been made on numerous occasions to the Government of Bahrain at the highest levels.
The UK continues to encourage those with concerns about treatment of those in detention to raise them with the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body, and the UK encourages oversight bodies in Bahrain to carry out thorough and swift investigations into any such claims.
The UK Government has been providing a range of technical and practical assistance to the Government of Bahrain since 2012, in support of its reform programme. Technical assistance supports the building of effective and accountable institutions, strengthening of the rule of law, and police and justice reform.
The UK believes that that working with Bahrain offers the best opportunity to bring about the positive changes which the Government of Bahrain has committed to implementing.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Craig Whittaker MP
May 2019