\n
“We remain committed to continued reforms and welcome constructive dialogue to address any legitimate concerns fairly and transparently,” they added.<\/p>\n
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have both also expressed concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to wonder what signal this sends when the Bahraini authorities are unjustly prosecuting their critics, when human rights defenders are languishing in Bahraini jails and when the Manama authorities refuse to reinstate the citizenship of people rendered stateless on politically motivated charges,\u201d said Allan Hogarth, Amnesty International UK\u2019s head of government and political relations.<\/p>\n
The award given to King Hamad as well as King Abdullah of Jordan \u2013 who are both marking silver jubilees this year \u2013 was announced on Wednesday by Buckingham Palace.<\/p>\n
It is not commenting on the criticism.<\/p>\n
Bahrain and the UK have strong diplomatic, political and military relations.<\/p>\n
On Monday, King Hamad arrived in a horse and carriage at Windsor Castle, receiving a Royal Salute from a Guard of Honour.<\/p>\n
A \u201cspectacular evening\u201d followed which ended with pipers marching around the dinner table, according to the British ambassador to Bahrain, Alastair Long, on Instagram.<\/p>\n
He said that King Charles, addressing the Bahraini monarch, had praised him for being \u201cguided by his concern and care for his people.\u201d<\/p>\n
King Hamad, a Sunni Muslim, rules a country with a Shia majority, and members of his family hold the main political and military positions. <\/p>\n
In 2011, pro-democracy protests were crushed, with the help of troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, hundreds of political prisoners were freed after they were granted a royal pardon to mark 25 years of King Hamad\u2019s rule.<\/p>\n
But many remain in jail, including human rights activist Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, 63, and 76-year-old opposition leader Hassan Mushaima, the fathers of two of the signatories to the letter to King Charles – Maryam Al-Khawaja and Ali Mushaima.<\/p>\n
The third signatory, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei – who is now a British citizen – said he had been beaten, tortured and jailed for calling for peaceful change.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout King Hamad\u2019s rule, scores of Bahrainis have been arbitrarily detained and tortured, and some have even been killed as a result of exercising their rights to assembly and free expression,\u201d Niku Jafarnia of Human Rights Watch told the BBC.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe recent pardons he\u2019s given don\u2019t make up for these abuses, and it\u2019s a disgrace that he has been granted this award while many still remain wrongfully detained,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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