FIFA President Sepp Blatter has been urged by two human rights organisations to step in and prevent Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa of Bahrain (pictured) from running next week for President of the Asian Football Confederation and a position on FIFA’s all-powerful executive committee. As the pressure mounts on the apparent front-runner in the May 2 ballot, the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights have jointly written to Blatter calling on him to withdraw Salman’s nomination because of his alleged involvement in human rights violations that have been well chronicled both by this website and others.
Blatter has no vote in the elections, or any right to stop AFC contenders campaigning. But he does carry considerable sway – not least when it comes to cleaning up FIFA’s corruption-tarnished executive committee.
In their letter, the two bodies urge FIFA to outlaw those "who use the sport as a tool for human rights violations and abuse."
Mohammed Al-Maskati, president of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights and Maryam Al-Khawaja, acting President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, the co-authors of the letter, also ask Blatter to "bear in mind the sublime principles of sport and fair play that respect basic human rights and to distance all violators of human rights from reaching prestigious sport positions in order to embellish their notorious image."
The letter lists the "most important acts of revenge carried out by Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa against groups that are affiliated with football.
Provided in the letter are further details of the persecution of football players, administrators and referees under Sheikh Salman’s watch.
Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa has in recent days issued statements claiming that "the BFA is being guided according to the highest possible governance standards of integrity and transparency – fully in line with the AFC and FIFA Statutes; and no action has been taken under my direction against any member of the football community."
To the letter from the Bahraini human rights activists is attached a list of 32 Bahraini players, trainers, administrators and referees who were sacked, suspended or imprisoned. The letter concludes by asking that the nomination of Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa be withdrawn as "the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights believe that the world’s most popular sports should respect human rights" and FIFA should "put an end to the practice of using the sport of football to polish a poor background in human rights, and who use the sport as a tool for human rights violations and abuse."
