Tory MP who told activist ‘go back to Bahrain’ is found guilty of racial abuse
He got into a row with the activist outside the Foreign Office.
A Tory MP has been found guilty of racially abusing an activist by telling him to ‘go back to Bahrain’.
Bob Stewart, 74, MP for Beckenham in south-east London, got into a row with activist Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei outside the Foreign Office’s Lancaster House in Westminster on December 14 last year.
Mr Alwadaei shouted: ‘Bob Stewart, for how much did you sell yourself to the Bahraini regime?’
He told the activist: ‘You’re taking money off my country, go away.’
During the heated exchange, he added: ‘Go away, I hate you.’
In footage played during a trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today, he also said: ‘Now shut up, you stupid man.’
The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into the incident after a complaint was made by Mr Alwadaei, who has said he was living in exile after being tortured in the Gulf state.
Mr Alwadaei alleged Bahrain was ‘corrupt’ and a ‘human rights violator’, during the one-day trial.
The activist was asked during the hearing how he felt following the confrontation with the MP.
He said: ‘I feel that I was dehumanised, like I was someone who is not welcomed in the UK.
‘Because of my skin colour, because of where I came from, he feels I am taking money from his country.’
He claimed if he returned to Bahrain he would ‘undoubtedly be killed and tortured’.
In response to the accusation, Stewart said it was ‘absurd’ and ‘totally unfair’, stating he was ‘not a racist’.
He said: ‘My life has been, I don’t want to say destroyed, but I am deeply hurt at having to appear in a court like this.’
Stewart told the court he had ‘no idea’ who Mr Alwadaei was when the incident occurred and he used the word ‘hate’ because of what the protester was saying.
Stewart added: ‘”Go back to Bahrain” meant why don’t you go back to Bahrain and make your point there?’
Stewart was asked if he accused Mr Alwadaei of taking money from the UK, the MP said: ‘I made the assumption he too was living in this country and was benefiting from living in this country.
‘I certainly didn’t mean he was a freeloader.’
But he defended his reaction to the protester, telling the court: ‘He was saying that I was corrupt and that I had taken money. My honour was at stake in front of a large number of ambassadors.
‘It upset me and I thought it was extremely offensive.’
Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring found the MP guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence.
Mr Goldspring said: ‘I accept he is not racist per se, but that is not the case against him.
‘Good men can do bad things.’
Stewart will not be jailed for the offence.
He was handed a fine of £600, with additional legal costs bringing the total to £1,435.
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