Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): British MP Lord Paul Scriven‏ said in a tweet that he wrote to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to express his disappointment for their weak statement on the unlawful life sentence against political leader, Sheikh Ali Salman in Bahrain, stressing that in refusing to criticize Sheikh Salman's charges, the UK remains in violation of their own commitment to freedom of speech and expression.

In his letter, Lord Paul Scriven, expressed his deep disappointment concerning Sheikh Ali Salman's case, given Bahrain's upcoming general elections on November 24, 2018, adding that "by sentencing Bahrain's leading opposition leader a few weeks prior to the elections, the Kingdom of Bahrain has shown a steadfast commitment to silencing any opposition to their rule, thereby, highlighting the illegitimate nature of these elections."

Lord Paul Scriven urged the foreign and commonwealth office to meet the human rights obligations through convicting this ruling and calling for Sheikh Ali Salman's immediate release.

"The US had urged Bahraini prosecutors not to pursue the appeal and called for his [Sheikh Ali Salman] immediate release," Lord Scriven stated in his letter, indicating that "there is no reason that the UK should not be able to follow suit."

Scriven said that the EU has also condemned the decision, arguing that it is "in the interest of the long term stability of the country and its citizens" to reconsider his sentence upon appeals. Meanwhile, Amnesty International asserted that "Sheikh Ali Salman is a prisoner of conscience who is being held solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom."

Lord Scriven added "the FCO's response so far has been extremely weak, offering not explicit condemnation of the life sentence [against Sheikh Ali Salman] or calling for his release," urging the FCO "to publically criticize the Kingdom of Bahrain for sentencing Sheikh Salman to life in prison and call for his immediate release and meet the human rights obligation of the UK," stressing that "human rights should not be a selective political tool that is only employed when it justifies the needs of the UK, rather, the UK should hold one standard of human rights and even more with regard to their allies."

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