PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
Ten years on from Bahrain's Arab Spring uprising of February 2011 (8 February 2021)

That this House commemorates the tenth anniversary of the Arab Spring and the beginning of Bahrain’s pro-democracy uprising on 14 February 2011; endorses the demands made by hundreds of thousands of Bahraini citizens during protests at Manama’s Pearl Roundabout for democratic reform, social justice and respect for human rights; condemns the brutal suppression of the protest movement by Bahrain’s Government; denounces the continued detention of leading opposition figures imprisoned for their role in the 2011 uprising, including Hassan Mushaima, Abdulwahab Husain and Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace; notes with alarm the continued deterioration of the human rights situation in Bahrain since the Arab Spring, including the suspension of independent media, dissolution of opposition parties and suppression of civil society; decries Bahrain’s abandonment of a moratorium on the death penalty in 2017 and the subsequent execution of six individuals, five of whom alleged being tortured; notes that reform efforts promised in the wake of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry have been reversed or abandoned by Bahrain’s Government; questions the efficacy and effectiveness of technical assistance provided to Bahrain by the Government since 2012; reminds the Government of Bahrain of their duty to uphold the highest human rights standards in line with their international obligations; urges greater transparency on UK funding to Bahrain through the Integrated Activity Fund and Gulf Strategy Fund; and calls on the Government to make support for Bahrain contingent on tangible improvements to the human rights situation in that country.

Sponsored by:
Brendan O'Hara (Scottish National Party)