Bahrain authorities reportedly sentenced national team
player Mohammed Hubail to two years in prison on Thursday.
Star player Alaa Hubail, Mohammed's brother, also went on
trial Thursday in the same security court for allegedly taking part in
anti-government demonstrations.
More than 150 athletes, coaches and referees have been
suspended since martial law was imposed in March.
The trials “appear to bear the marks of political
persecution,” the United Nations human rights office in Geneva said Friday.
“There are serious concerns that the due process rights
of the defendants, many of whom are well-known human rights defenders, were not
respected,” the U.N agency said in a statement.
FIFA said in a statement it had contacted the Bahrain
Football Association in May for information.
“However, we have no specific official information on
this matter at the moment,” the world football body said.
FIFA rules give it the power to suspend countries whose
politicians meddle in football's affairs.
Bahrain FA President Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa
is a member of the ruling royal family.
The Hubail brothers appeared at closed-door court
sessions on the same day that Bahrain's under-23 team advanced in qualifying
for the 2012 London Olympics by defeating Palestine in Ramallah.
A FIFA suspension could jeopardize Bahrain's
participation in the next round of Asian Olympic qualifiers, which begins in
September.
Bahrain
is also scheduled to take part in the 2014 World Cup qualifying draw being
conducted July 30 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
