A human rights activist has complained to the Conservative party after a confrontation with the Tory MP Bob Stewart, where he was told to “go back to Bahrain” and that he was “taking money off my country”.
In video footage passed to the Guardian, Sayed Alwadaei, the director of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird), confronts Stewart outside a reception hosted by the Bahraini embassy.
Alwadaei is heard asking Stewart about a trip paid for by the Bahraini government ahead of its elections, saying, “how much did you sell yourself to the Bahraini regime?” and adding “you were paid by them recently”.
In response, Stewart is heard saying: “Get stuffed. Bahrain’s a great place. End of.” And then he is heard saying: “Go away, I hate you.” Stewart then says: “Go back to Bahrain.” After another comment from Alwadaei, in the video he adds: “Now you shut up you stupid man.” He then says: “You’re taking money off my country, go away.”
Alwadaei, who won an Index on Censorship award in 2020, was imprisoned and tortured for taking part in a pro-democracy uprising in 2011 and after being sentenced he sought political asylum in the UK in 2012, where he co-founded Bird. He is a regular protester at events hosted by Bahrain in the UK and at visits by the government and royal family.
His Bahraini citizenship was revoked after a protest against King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s presence at the Royal Windsor horse show in 2013.
The reception took place last Wednesday, attended by the former prime minister Theresa May and the Conservative party chair, Nadhim Zahawi.
Alwadaei told the Guardian he was seeking legal advice about Stewart’s comments and was considering complaining to the parliamentary commission for standards.
“I still have the scars from where the authorities kicked me in the head, and if I went back to Bahrain I would face further torture and imprisonment,” he said.
“I don’t believe I would have been told to ‘go back’ to the country that violently tortured me if it weren’t for my skin colour. No one should be subjected to racist abuse, particularly for holding an MP to account for accepting lavish gifts from one of the world’s most repressive regimes.”
In his letter of complaint to CCHQ, Alwadaei alleged Stewart had breached the code of conduct by bringing the party into disrepute and that members must not harass or victimise a person because of their race or nationality.
“Verbally abusing a member of the public while undertaking [Stewart’s] duties as an MP is something that certainly bring the Conservative party into disrepute,” Alwadaei wrote.
“Stewart’s comment ‘Go back to Bahrain’ is in clear violation of this provision and is blatant discrimination. If it were not for my race, as defined above which includes my skin colour and being of Bahraini origin, he would never have made this racist comment towards me.”
Stewart has been on two trips to Bahrain, paid for by the country’s government, since 2021. Last month, according to the register of members’ interests, he visited the Bahrain airshow and met the foreign minister, declaring a cost of £1,245.56 for the five-day trip.
He also declared another trip in November 2021, including flights, accommodation and meals with a value of £5,349 as part of the parliamentary delegation to the IISS Manama Dialogue.
Elections took place in Bahrain last month with no opposition candidates permitted to stand from the two main parties. Authorities have imprisoned hundreds of dissidents since a 2011 crackdown on Shia-led protesters demanding political reforms.
Amnesty International said the election would be held in an “environment of political repression”.
Stewart has defended Bahrain’s human rights record in the past, saying in the House of Commons in January: “Bahrain does not have political prisoners; they are all prisoners who are there because they have committed a crime.”
Stewart apologised for his remarks and said he had “persistently taunted me by saying I had taken money from Bahrain”.
He said the remarks were deeply offensive and that he had not taken money from the country.
“I admit I fell for the taunts and should not have responded which I regret,” he said. “My comments were meant to tell them they could protest safely in Bahrain … Bahrain gets a very unfair press and I feel that strongly.
“I am sorry if anyone thought I was being racist in any way. Honestly I was not. I wish now I had not been drawn by the taunts – a mistake – but I was and I repeat, I apologise for that. The last thing I meant to be was racist as I have so many good Bahraini friends.”
Stewart said he defended Bahrain because he was stationed there in 1969 and said he had seen the country progress.
“It is a very decent place to live – probably the safest place in the Gulf with a proper and fair judicial system. It is also the only place there with a thriving synagogue by the way.”
A Conservative party spokesperson said: “We have an established code of conduct and formal processes where complaints can be made in confidence. This process is rightly confidential.”
