29/30 October 2015

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Bahrain FA vowed to
take action against
demonstrators in 2011,
document shows
Evidence has emerged
that appears to link
further
the
Bahrain
Football Association, then
overseen by the leading
Fifa presidential candidate
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim
al-Khalifa, to a crackdown
on
pro-democracy
demonstrators
in
the
country in 2011.
Sheikh Salman, president
of the Asian Football
Confederation since 2013
and one of the leading
candidates to replace Sepp
Blatter when he stands down
in February, told the BBC
this week that allegations he

FIFA candidate denies

role in punishing
protesting athletes
FIFA presidential candidate
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim
Al Khalifa denied on
Thursday he had ever been
involved in investigating and
prosecuting athletes active
in Bahrain's democracy
protests in 2011.
Britain's
Guardian
newspaper cited on Tuesday
a 2011 Bahrain News
Agency
article
stating
that Salman, who is now
president of the Asian
Football
Confederation
(AFC), had been appointed
to "lead the investigation
committee".
Since
announcing
on
Monday that he will run
for FIFA president, Salman

was involved in identifying

150 athletes who took part
in demonstrations were
false, nasty lies. In a fresh
denial his spokesman told
the Guardian that recent
allegations are entirely false
and categorically denied by
Sheikh Salman.
The online archives of the
official government news
agency said, in an article
dated 7 April 2011, that
the Bahrain FA would take
action against any players
or
administrators
or
coaches who have violated
the law by attending
illegal demonstrations or
any other action with the
objective of removing the
regime or insulting national
symbols.

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has faced strident criticism
from human rights groups
who say he had local
football players arrested,
detained, abused, tortured
and publicly humiliated
during the protests while
he was head of the Bahrain
Football Association.
"Recent
allegations
are entirely false and
categorically denied by
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim
Al Khalifa," he said in a
statement.

Read more

FIFA candidate Sheikh

Salman denies role in
rights abuses
MANAMA,
Bahrain
(AP) FIFA presidential
candidate Sheikh Salman
bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa has
issued his strongest denial
yet against claims he aided
human rights abuses after
pro-democracy protests.
The Bahraini royal's entry in
the seven-man FIFA contest
revived 2011 allegations
he chaired a panel which
identified national soccer
team players and other
athletes who were jailed for
joining street protests.
The
Associated
Press

The former head of

the Bahrain Football
Association insists
he did not prosecute
those involved in
demonstrations after
accusations were
published in the press
Fifa presidential candidate
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim
al-Khalifa has emphatically
denied
involvement
in
investigating
and
prosecuting athletes during
democracy protests in
Bahrain in 2011.
Sheikh Salman, president
of the Asian Football
Confederation, joined the
race to replace outgoing

reported in 2011 that more

than 150 athletes and sports
officials were detained, and
some claimed they were
tortured by government
forces.
Rights groups in Bahrain and
media reports have noted
that the panel role of Sheikh
Salman, then president of
the Gulf nation's soccer
federation, was announced
at the time by the state-run
news agency.

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Fifa boss Sepp Blatter prior

to the Monday deadline for
submissions for candidacy.
However, the former head
of the Bahrain Football
Association
has
faced
criticism from human rights
groups since announcing
his intention to stand.
The 49-year-old is a member
of Bahrain's royal family,
who have been regularly
condemned over allegations
of oppression of prodemocratic demonstrations
and the use of torture.

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FIFA presidential
candidate Sheikh
Salman denies fresh
allegations on record
FIFA presidential candidate
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim
Al Khalifa has issued a
statement in which he
categorically denies "entirely
false" allegations made
against him regarding his
human rights record.
FIFA presidential candidate
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim
Al Khalifa has issued a
statement in which he
categorically denies "entirely
false" allegations made
against him regarding his
human rights record.
Asian
Football
Confederation
president
Salman, a member of the

Bahrain royal family, has

attracted opposition from
human rights organisations
due to the regime's actions
in the suppression of the
country's pro-democracy
demonstrations in 2011.
Salman said in a statement
he
had
"absolutely
no
involvement"
in
investigating
and
prosecuting athletes active
in Bahrain's democracy
protests in 2011.

Read more