Lord Tariq Ahmad has been accused of breaching transparency rules concerning his role as a paid adviser to the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence in Bahrain. Ahmad, who denies any wrongdoing, was previously cleared by the UK's Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, which stated he had no official dealings with the centre during his time in office. However, documents indicate that he had official contact with the centre on multiple occasions. Human rights activists have raised concerns about the appointment due to Bahrain's human rights record, including suppression of political dissent.
Documents unearthed by human rights activists appear to show that Ahmad, who served between 2017 and 2025, had official contact with the centre while in office, visiting it at least twice and holding meetings on official trips in 2022 and 2023.
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird) said that Acoba should now review its advice and it has submitted a formal complaint.
According to the most recent reports from Human Rights Watch, the Bahraini government has in effect silenced political opposition, banned independent media and subjected internal opponents to brutal treatment including torture.
Acoba advised that the risk in Ahmad taking up the role was low. It said: You said that you had no involvement in policy development, contractual and/or commercial decisions specific to the KHC.
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