Academics call on university to stop course over torture claims

DOZENS OF academics from across the world are calling on the University of Huddersfield to suspend a controversial Masters 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 Masters course in Security Science, which involves Huddersfield lecturers training Bahrani police officers, has been running since 2018.

A total of 41 academics have now sent an open letter to The

Yorkshire Post calling for the programme to be suspended to allow an independent investigation to take place. It follows similar calls by human rights groups including Amnesty International earlier this year.

The university said today that the delivery of the course is in line with Government objectives to help reform policing in Bahrain.

The letter from the academics states: “We are writing to condemn the University of Huddersfield’s decision to maintain an exclusive MSc in Security Science for students at Bahrain’s Royal Academy of Policing following revelations in The Times and The Yorkshire Post that at least ten political prisoners report being tortured at the site.

“Since their publication, more individuals have come forward testifying to being tortured on Academy premises. We therefore join human rights groups in urging the UoH to suspend their MSc to the RAP, pending an independent investigation. Should the management fail to act, we encourage Huddersfield students to raise the matter with their Students’ Union.”

Among the signatories are two professors from the University of Leeds and one from the University of Bradford. The letter is also backed by academics from the US, Canada, Switzerland and Malta.

It is also supported by the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, whose president Baroness Haleh Afshar is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of York. A spokesperson for the organisation said: “We would like to add our voice to those who oppose this MSc in Security Science, and call upon the University of Huddersfield to withdraw from what is clearly an untenable and highly- compromising collaboration with the security services in Bahrain.”

The Bahrain Institute for Rights & Democracy, which has made repeated calls for the university to drop the course, said the letter should act as a reminder to Huddersfield University leaders that the programme “undermines the academic integrity of their institution”.

A spokesperson for Huddersfield University said: “The delivery of this course is in line with the mission advocated by the UK Government’s Department of International Trade. Indeed, as indicated by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, earlier this year ‘ The United Kingdom is committed to supporting Bahrain- led reform, including through carefully- targeted assistance and private and public engagement. We are clear that disengaging or criticising from the sidelines is less likely to deliver the positive reform that Bahrain and the international community seek.’.”

Earlier this year, the Embassy of Bahrain said the torture allegations were unconnected to the Masters programme and “an attempt to undermine important UK- Bahrain policing co- operation”. The Embassy said any formal allegation would be subject to a “full and detailed” investigation.

We join human rights groups in urging them to suspend their MSc. Open letter from 41 academics, addressing the University of Huddersfield.