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HR Groups Demand British University to End Links with Bahraini Police Force

2022-10-17 - 2:36 p

Bahrain Mirror: Politicians and human rights groups have renewed calls for the University of Huddersfield to end its relationship with the Bahrain security services.

The university runs a masters degree in security sciences at the Royal Academy of Police in the gulf state.

In the program, recruits are taught modules such as investigative forensic psychology and terrorism and conflict resolution, the BBC reported.

A spokesperson for the university said it would not be commenting on the new allegations.

For nearly five years the University of Huddersfield has trained at least 25 members of the Bahrain security forces each year as part of an agreement with the Bahrain government.

In the programme, recruits are taught modules such as investigative forensic psychology and terrorism and conflict resolution.

For nearly five years the University of Huddersfield has trained at least 25 members of the Bahrain security forces each year as part of an agreement with the Bahrain government.

Lord Paul Scriven, who is part of the All Parliamentary Group for Democracy and Human Rights in the Gulf, has written to the university calling on them to halt their teaching in the Gulf state.

"They need to stand back, reflect and look at the potential implication of their institution being highlighted in human rights abuses", the Liberal Democrat peer said.

"It's down to the vice-chancellor Bob Cryan to come out with concrete evidence to prove that since his institution was in Bahrain, that the academy of police hasn't been implicated in human rights abuses. If he can't do that then he has to close down this course".

The University of Huddersfield said it would not comment further on any of the allegations outlined and that it would respond to Lord Scriven's letter in due course.

One of the authors, BIRD's Sayed Ahmed Al-Wadaei, said it highlighted for the first time specific allegations of torture at a police facility in which the University of Huddersfield was delivering training to recruits.

"This is really significant they are training the Bahraini violent police - the same police that are responsible for serious crimes under international law like torture."

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