London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Dec 04, 2025

University of Huddersfield: Calls to end links with Bahraini police force

University of Huddersfield: Calls to end links with Bahraini police force

Politicians and human rights groups have renewed calls for the University of Huddersfield to end its relationship with the Bahrain security services.

The university runs a masters degree in security sciences at the Royal Academy of Police in the gulf state.

A new report from two human rights groups alleges prisoners in Bahrain have been tortured at the academy.

A spokesperson for the university said it would not be commenting on the new allegations.

For nearly five years the University of Huddersfield has trained at least 25 members of the Bahrain security forces each year as part of an agreement with the Bahrain government.

In the programme, recruits are taught modules such as investigative forensic psychology and terrorism and conflict resolution.

A university press release in 2019 said the degree was taught at the Royal Academy of Police, near Jaww in the Gulf state.

A report compiled by Human Rights Watch and another campaign group, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), details allegations of beatings, sleep deprivation, attempted rape and electrical shocks being conducted at the academy.

Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei, from BIRD, says the academy is "training the Bahraini violent police"


The report is based largely on court records and other official documents, along with the testimonies of eight men who have been sentenced to death by the Bahrain authorities.

One of the authors, BIRD's Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei, said it highlighted for the first time specific allegations of torture at a police facility in which the University of Huddersfield was delivering training to recruits.

"This is really significant they are training the Bahraini violent police - the same police that are responsible for serious crimes under international law like torture."

There are no allegations that anyone directly employed by the University of Huddersfield has engaged in or has knowledge of alleged human rights abuses being carried out at the academy.


'Human rights abuses'


In response to the allegations, the Bahrain embassy in the UK told the BBC it had put measures in place to stop human rights abuses.

It accepted there had been "individual cases of misconduct" within the police in the past, but said "these cases were investigated and dealt with accordingly."

Using information available from Freedom of Information requests the BBC estimates since 2017 the University of Huddersfield may have earned over one million pounds by providing training to the Bahraini police force.

Lord Paul Scriven, who is part of the All Parliamentary Group for Democracy and Human Rights in the Gulf, has written to the university calling on them to halt their teaching in the Gulf state.

"They need to stand back, reflect and look at the potential implication of their institution being highlighted in human rights abuses", the Liberal Democrat peer said.

"It's down to the vice-chancellor Bob Cryan to come out with concrete evidence to prove that since his institution was in Bahrain, that the academy of police hasn't been implicated in human rights abuses. If he can't do that then he has to close down this course".

The University of Huddersfield said it would not comment further on any of the allegations outlined and that it would respond to Lord Scriven's letter in due course.

See more on this story on Politics North (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire) on BBC One on Sunday 16 October at 10:00 BST or watch via BBC iPlayer here afterwards.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
India backs down on plan to mandate government “Sanchar Saathi” app on all smartphones
King Charles Welcomes German President Steinmeier to UK in First State Visit by Berlin in 27 Years
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
×