Bahrain Mirror: Mahdi Abu Deeb, President of the dissolved Bahrain Teachers' Association (BTA), won the International Solidarity Award for 2017, granted by the largest teachers' union in the UK, NASUWT. Abu Deeb spent 5 years in prison after a Bahraini court ruled against him.

NASUWT held its annual conference on Saturday (April 15, 2017) in Manchester and presented an award to Abu Deeb in recognition of his commitment to fighting for the rights of teachers and for quality education in Bahrain.

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said: "Mahdi has faced years of repression, violence and the loss of his liberty simply for standing up for the rights of teachers and challenging the ruling orthodoxy."

"His story is a stark reminder that trade unionists around the world continue to be targeted in their fight for freedom of expression, social justice and human rights," he added, indicating that Mahdi's courage and determination are inspiration in this field.

Mahdi said "Six years ago I was arrested for calling for a strike to protect our teachers, our children, our schools in Bahrain," the association reported. He also extended thanks to NASUWT for its solidarity with him while in prison.

Activist Jalila Al-Salman, deputy president of the Bahrain Teachers' Association, who was also arrested and targeted, attended the conference.

Arabic Version