Alleged torturer could become FIFA's next president

If you thought the regime of outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter was bad, well, there's a possibilty it could get even worse.

Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain, current president of the Asian Football Confederation, has passed FIFA's "integrity checks" and will be allowed to run for president of soccer's world governing body.

The problem with Sheikh Salman is that he has been accused by multiple human rights groups — including Human Rights Watch, Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain, and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy — of torture.

The accusations stem from a 2011 crackdown of anti-government protesters that resulted in hundreds of people, including Bahraini soccer players, being imprisoned and allegedly tortured.

"Sheikh Salman played a key role in Bahrain’s retaliation against athlete-protesters," according to Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain. "Throughout the government crackdown, he allegedly examined photographs of the protesters, identifying Bahraini athletes for the security forces. The authorities then used this information to arrest, detain and publicly defame all who were named, of which many credibly allege that they were tortured during detention."

Sheikh Salman now joins Prince Ali Al Hussein of Jordan, Jerome Champagne, Gianni Infantino and Tokyo Sexwale as the fifth candidate to vie for FIFA's presidency as Sepp Blatter steps aside.

He might be as corrupt as they come, but at least Sepp Blatter never physically tortured anyone.