Formula 1 has been accused of ignoring the abuse of human rights which is taking place in Bahrain, as the sport will begin the 2022 championship with the first event of the year scheduled to take place in Sakhir next weekend.
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, a non-profit human rights organisation based in London which promotes democratisation and human rights in Bahrain, stated that Formula 1 has “abandoned those who have been tortured and imprisoned” mainly as a result of criticism of the Formula 1 event.
The response of Formula 1 came today: “We take our responsibilities on rights very seriously and set high ethical standards for counter-parties and those in our supply chain.”
These were “enshrined in contracts, and we pay close attention to their adherence”.
Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, the director of advocacy for Bird, has written a letter to Formula 1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali after the sport confirmed a new long-term deal to keep racing in Bahrain. The letter states that the contract “directly contradicts your claim from last year that F1 takes ‘violence, abuse of human rights and repression very seriously'”.
It adds that the grand prix “has contributed to the abuse and suffering of individuals, and F1 has failed to adequately use its platform to put an end to abuses or secure redress for these victims”.
It said Bird supported the Formula 1 call to permanently remove the Russian Grand Prix from the F1 calendar, less than a week after the 2022 edition of the race was cancelled after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but explained there “is a clear double-standard being applied with countries in the Middle East” in the context of Saudi Arabia‘s involvement in a conflict in Yemen.
Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection from Puma!
Saudi Arabia hosts the second race of the season. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, which hosts the season finale in Abu Dhabi, were also involved in Yemen, Alwadaei said.
He asked Formula 1 to review its policy on events in the Middle East and reconsider its position on an independent commission to investigate human rights violations linked to the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Bird has also written to some drivers asking them to “publicly stand up for human rights in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, including on social media platforms”.
The F1 spokesperson said: “For decades, Formula 1 has worked hard to be a positive force everywhere it races, including economic, social, and cultural benefits. Sports like Formula 1 are uniquely positioned to cross borders and cultures to bring countries and communities together to share the passion and excitement of incredible competition and achievement.”
A statement from the Bahrain government said the kingdom had “led human rights reform in the region” and that to single it out was “absurd and lacks context”.
It said it “welcomes and actively supports the role Formula 1 can play in shedding light on human rights issues in all countries it operates in”.
And it said Bahrain has “the region’s most robust human rights protections in place”, including an independent human rights ombudsman, police code-of-conduct reforms and criminal justice reform.
Leave a Reply