Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Jamal Fakhro, a member of Bahrain's appointed Shura Council, attempted to conceal something of massive importance. He has made repeated attempts to silence European parliamentarians who have raised concerns about political prisoners in Bahrain, particularly the prominent activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, during the IPU conference.

While Fakhro was urging the speakers not to fall for deception, he himself was being deceptive with his poor speech, which drew sarcastic smiles from the Europeans, which was caught on camera.

Furthermore, Fakhro's presence at the meeting and his appointment by the Royal Court as Chairman of the organizing committee for the event is itself a deception. It is misleading that Fakhro speaks on behalf of Bahrain and even opens his mouth in the halls of this meeting, as he is not an elected MP and was never a representative of the people of Bahrain.

He is just a Shura Council member appointed more than 30 years ago. He was previously appointed by the late Isa bin Salman, and then by Hamad bin Isa. He is a representative of the government not the people, so he has no right to speak as a parliamentarian. 

As for Fakhro's denial of the conditions of political prisoners, and the sadistic torture suffered by human rights activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, it is a public false testimony provided by Fakhro and a lie that he should have avoided, but how could he do that when the truth of him being a representative of the people is a mere lie and deception.

Jamal Fakhro should be tried for his false testimony; for what Al-Khawaja went through did not happen so long ago that people would forget it. The report of the royal fact-finding commission formed by order of the King in 2011, which was known as the Bassiouni (BICI) Commission, stated what happened to Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, and the horrific torture that political leaders and prisoners were subjected to. 

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja already spoke in details before the Supreme Court of Appeal about his torture, in a trial session held on May 22, 2012 and could have been reread publicly during the IPU assembly if the IPU president allowed it.

Arabic Version