A Human Rights Watch activist said Wednesday that Bahrain has barred him from entering the tiny island nation for the annual FIFA congress as the kingdom continues a wide-scale crackdown on dissent. Omar Shakir, the organization’s Israel-Palestine director, said he hoped to talk to FIFA officials and others about his concerns over Israeli soccer teams playing in West Bank settlements. He arrived in Bahrain on Tuesday afternoon, planning to get a visa on arrival with his US passport as others attending the world soccer federation’s congress had before. FIFA moved the congress to Bahrain from Kuala Lumpur after Malaysia withdrew from hosting, citing problems allowing entry to some delegates, including officials from Israel. Activists have been imprisoned or exiled, and the kingdom recently approved military tribunals for civilians.

Source: Egypt Independent May 10, 2017 12:00 UTC