Asia’s soccer chief and top FIFA lieutenant Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa yesterday received a fresh, four-year term, triggering complaints from campaigners who said that regional soccer was in a “crisis” over human rights.
The Bahraini royal, who was standing unopposed for the second straight occasion, was elected in his absence at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) congress in Kuala Lumpur, which he skipped following the death of his mother on Wednesday.
Sheikh Salman was earlier this year criticized by rights groups for his silence over the case of Bahraini refugee soccer player Hakeem al-Araibi, who was detained in Thailand and threatened with extradition to Bahrain.
Al-Araibi, who was released following an international outcry, believes that he was targeted for claiming Sheikh Salman was involved in a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011, which included the arrest and alleged torture of soccer players.
The former head of the Bahrain Football Association has long refuted the accusation, which was aired when he first came to power at the AFC in a landslide election in 2013.
“Asian football is in a crisis,” Human Rights Watch global initiatives director Minky Worden said, accusing Sheikh Salman and others of failing to protect human rights.
“Sheikh Salman should commit to uphold and to carry out FIFA’s 2017 human rights policy, including in his home country,” Worden wrote in a commentary responding to his re-election.
However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said that Asia was showing unity and “stability” by re-electing Sheikh Salman, who sent a statement expressing his “heartfelt apologies” for his absence.
The Bahraini pointed to a record commercial deal struck last year, saying that it would not have been possible without good governance and reforms to AFC competitions.
“Together, we will grow stronger. Together, Asian football will grow stronger,” Sheikh Salman said.
Sheikh Salman now starts a new term lasting until 2023, which also renews his position as FIFA’s senior vice president under Infantino.
Lurid allegations have dogged the Bahraini since he was first elected in 2013, replacing Qatari businessman Mohamed bin Hammam, who was banned from soccer for life over corruption.
At the time, he rejected claims of involvement in Bahrain’s roundup of protesters following Arab Spring demonstrations in 2011, which included soccer players and other athletes.
He also came under fire over accusations that the Olympic Council of Asia, headed by Kuwaiti power broker Sheikh Ahmad al-Fatah Al Sabah, had been lobbying voters on his behalf.
This year, Sheikh Salman was heavily criticized for not publicly weighing in on al-Araibi’s behalf.
The AFC said that he stayed out of the matter to avoid accusations of a conflict of interest.
Sheikh Salman was also re-elected unopposed in 2015, but he looked set to face a challenge this time around when Qatar’s Saoud al-Mohannadi and Mohammed Khalfan al-Romaithi of the United Arab Emirates announced their candidacies.
However, al-Romaithi abruptly canceled a lobbying tour and withdrew late last month — about two weeks after launching his campaign — and al-Mohannadi followed suit last week.
Al-Mohannadi was among five delegates who won a seat on the powerful FIFA Council, while also retaining his position as an AFC vice president.
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