Degree at ‘torture hub’ will continue

HUDDERSFIELD UNIVERSITY has rejected calls to suspend a lucrative degree programme it runs with Bahrain’s Royal Academy of Policing over allegations that widespread torture of political prisoners had been taking place at the location.

The university has told The Yorkshire Post it is continuing the course but has passed details of the allegations made to the authorities in Bahrain for investigation.

Demands for the course to be suspended were made last month by human rights groups including Amnesty International after allegations the centre was being used as a ‘torture hub’ were smuggled out of the nation.

The Masters course in Security Science, which involves Huddersfield lecturers training Bahrain police officers at the academy, was launched in 2018 with Prince Andrew, then Huddersfield University’s Chancellor, visiting the Gulf state to meet some of the participating officers and senior Government ministers.

Earlier this year, the London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and the Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) groups wrote to the university’s vice-chancellor Professor Bob Cryan with detailed allegations of the torture of 10 prisoners – including people being subjected to severe beatings, sleep deprivation, being threatened with the rape and torture of family members and made to

sign pre-prepared confessions – alleged to have taken place at the Royal Academy of Policing between 2016 and 2019.

Their calls for the degree programme to be suspended were backed by both Amnesty International and Liberal Democrat peer Lord Scriven, who is from Huddersfield.

Professor Cryan has now responded to the letter, saying “the delivery of this course is in line with the mission advocated by the UK Government’s Department of International Trade”.

A spokesman for the university confirmed today that the course “is continuing”.