BAHRAIN: Human rights group cautions against return of Formula One

International racing authorities scheduling Formula One events should consider alleged human rights violations before they reschedule a 2011 race postponed in Bahrain after a massive uprising against the Gulf state's monarchy in February, New York-based Human Rights Watch said Thursday in a letter to the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile and the Formula One Teams Assn.

The Bahraini government canceled the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix, which had been scheduled for March, due to widespread pro-democracy protests.

FIA officials are expected to decide whether to reschedule the event during a meeting in Barcelona on June 3.

Bahrain’s King Hamed ibn Isa Khalifa recently announced that martial law would be lifted two weeks early on June 1, just in time for the FIA meeting.

“Sadly, serious violations like arbitrary arrest, incommunicado detention, and alleged torture by Bahraini authorities predate the imposition of martial law in mid-March,” said Tom Porteous, deputy program director at Human Rights Watch. “There is little reason to think that ending martial law on June 1 will make much difference in Bahrain’s menacing human rights climate.”

Human Rights Watch questioned whether a successful Formula One event could be held in Bahrain, given the ongoing government campaign of arbitrary arrests, detentions and alleged torture. According to recent news reports, a quarter of the staff of the government-owned Bahrain International Circuit, the site of the annual Bahrain Grand Prix, have been arrested or dismissed in recent weeks.

Human Rights Watch noted that Bahraini officials have responded to "Arab Spring" protests by restricting news coverage, detaining and beating Bahraini journalists.

The Bahraini government has also prevented Human Rights Watch from working in the country since April 20, the group said in the statement.

“Racing officials should seriously consider the appropriateness of holding a Formula One event this year in Bahrain in light of the scale of human rights violations there,” Porteous said.

 

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske in Cairo

Comments

[Bahraini view]

To native Bahraini,

claiming that shiites make up 80% and that sunnis make up 20% is just untrue.... instead of making such claims.... please provide us with a source.

As for me I will lay down facts for you... cause thats the way it should be done...

1- If you look at the number of natinoalized bahrianis over the past 40-50 yeas most of them are shiites... The biggiest group of nationalized bahrainis were between the late 60s nd early 70s and they were of persian origin.

2- the Bahraini population is 1.17 million 2009 figures and these are official figures. Around 620 thousand are non-bahraini and 560 thousand are bahrainis. If you claim that only 20% is sunni and 80% is shite then based on your false claim there are only 112 thousand sunnis in Bahrain. Based on times.com and the guardian figures, there were about a 160 thousand bahrainis in the march of national unity in al fateh... and the same courses claimed that in lulu roundabout ranged between 30 thousand and 100 thousand... you can check the articles there for yourself.

If only 20% of Bahrainis are sunni then where did the 160 come from. Even if every single sunni went to the gathering it still won't be enough. So two explainations for that.. the ratio you are claiming is incorrect or most of the people that went to al fateh were shitte and didnt' agree with what happened in lulu roundabout... Pick what you want ot believe.

3- I don't know why there is all this hatred toward nationalized Bahrainis... The wierd thing is that the issue of nationalization is never brough on foreign media and opposition only makes statements in arabic regarding it... but whenver they speak to western media they never mention it because it will just appear to be pure racism.

One's connection to a country is not based on how long he or she have lived in it or whether they are nationalized or not...it is purely based on partiotism.

Native Bahraini is commenting on the los angelos times, chant agaisnt nationalizatoin... on a newspaper in a country that is based on immigrats and nationalized individual. No one can say that a latin american or an asian american is less patiotic than a caucasian american because he was nationalized... and the same should be said about bahrain... just because someone is of south asian origin, or arabic origin doesnt mean he is less barhaini than you mr. native bahraini... between the lines your message is pure racist.

[Bahraini view]

Unfortunatley many human right organizations are greatly lobbied by extreme political opposition parties... and that is something even acknowledged by the US government and addmitted by a US spokesman back before the events happened.

To give them credit the opposition were able to build close ties and maintain relationships with a number of individuals from NGO's and media sources over the years. Representatives and journalists that came to bahrain in many cases ended up being hosted and staying at the homes of many opposition leaders.

Usually in these situations you should bring individuals who have no connection with the area they are assessing or visiting to maintain neutrality, which in Bahrian's case was not.

As for Human Rights Watch people in Bahrain, the way they conducted themsevlves in Bahrain was very unprofessional. They refused to meet any government official depsite the continious requests. After all if you are a true professional you have to meet both sides and then make your judgement. All they had was a list of individuals which they maintain relationships with and these are the ones they visited.

As for dismissing a big number of people working in the Bahrain International Circuit... I dont know why people don't get it... Many people unfortunatley listened to their unions who told them to go on strike... without properlly applying for one... so you have individuals who didn't come to work not because they were sick not because they were on annual leave... just because they refused to come to work... labor law has to be followed and if you dont come to work for a number of days diseplinary action needs to be
taken.

And to the guy in the comment section claiming that female reporters have been tortured, please supply names... there is only one reporter who who works for France 24- Monte Carlo who made the accusation and the government made an investigation....and we all know her and the type of lies she was making such that Bahrain government bombed the lulu roudabout and conducted airstrikes!!!

Also not every one is as low as the scum who attacked women in the financial harbor as they were leaving work or the scum that attached the innocent expatriate workers in manama who are trying to make a living.

lulu protestors claim to want democracy... and to want that you have to accept other people's views... Every one wants reform in Bahrain... sunni before shiites....so just because someone doesnt' support your agenda or principles you are chanting for... doesnt mean that he is antidemocratic or a thug or a person paid by the government..

lulu protestors had one month were you protested freely after the military withdrew the first time. The roudabout became more of a carnival and no one had an issue with that since every one has the right to protest and express his views... it is when their protests lost momentum of their movement and started forcing themselves on other sects of the Bahraini community is when they crosed the line... Spreading fear by blocking the roads and threateting civilians to stay at home and not go to work is unacceptable... Making checkpoints where they ask civilians are you sunni or shiite is unacceptable. Claiming that nationalized bahrainis are not bahraini enough is unacceptable. People who wanna protest protest... b ut don't forget that there are others members in the Bahraini community and you have to accept them... you cannot eliminate the other just for your own personal gain... that is pure selfishness

[Native Bahraini]

Before any event please understand what is happening in Bahrain.
Pleas do not support the brutal regime.
*Non Bahrainis are being given nationality through a wicked program called naturalization. (only pro-Khalifa Wahhabi people are given this opportunity). 30 years ago Bahrain had 98% Shiite population, now it has 80% and if the naturalization and killing continues then there will be time when Shiite will reduce to 20%.
*The land corruption is so rampant that the 80% native population has been forced to live in 20% land of underdeveloped villages.
*The Royal families have taken away all sea-facing profitable property by force.
*It is not only about Shiite & Wahhabi problem, it is all about inequality, corruption, people's rights, democracy and freedom.
Simple logic : if majority is pro Khalifa then hold a free and fair election and see the result.

[ali]

There needs to be an end to sectarian discrimination in Bahrain. It is clear that Sunni alkhalifa royal family favors Sunnis emigrants from Pakistan and Syria over shia indigenous Bahrainis. Just imagine if there was sectarian discrimination in the US. Imagine if baptist weren't allowed to serve in the army or other government departments. Imagine if the US was bringing Catholics from all over the globe to make a catholic majority state. This is similar to the black civil rights movement in the US.

[Abdulraheem]

The Bahrain government should be dealt with as the apartheid regime it is.

Shame on F1 for not acknowledging the daily atrocities committed against pro democracy demonstrators and continuing to deal with this vicious regime.

[amwaj]

IF F1 does come to Bahrain, I ask that visitors please give a thought to those poverty stricken villages on the way to the race track. Tens of villages who continue to be raided, blockaded and gassed on a daily basis by imported armed masked government security men. These villagers are humiliated and beaten at checkpoints and sometime disappeared. Spare them a thought at least, that is if you can't go see the misery for yourself.

if you can't go to the villages then just search for "بحرين" on youtube. poverty and repression needs no translation.

SHAME ON F1 IN BAHRAIN 2011

[Omar]

I'm from Bahrain and I really don't understand groups like human rights watch, they should really try visiting a place first before talking about it, the situation here is getting better by the day and we really want to have the F1 Back as its a huge boost to our economy.

[James]

To Ahmed,

I wouldn't be surprised if you are being paid to spam news websites with false information. I'll answer your comment with questions:

1. Does "National Safety Law" explains why Bahia Al-Aradi was shot down by a sniper, when she was inside her car going to work on an afternoon, that was in March 2011 during the first days of the Saudi forces invasion?

2. Do you mean that Obama's speech, Human Rights Watch reports, EU Parliament, CNN's Video Reports by Amber Lyon, Aljazeera video interviews and thousands more; cannot be considered as evidence for the systematic arrests & tortures against the nation, civil activists and members of the parliament like Mattar Mattar or Jawad Fairouz?

3. All the reporters from CNN, Reuters, Al-jazeera and many others have been deported from Bahrain. Some Female reporters were tortured lately, I guess because they were biased.

Here's a message for you, keep your 'bogus claims' for yourself.

[Matt]

Doesn't matter as Formula 1 is going to be racing with 4 cylinder engines after the 2012 season. That is going to be a total joke!

[newageblues]

shame on them if they race in Bahrain after peaceful protesters were murdered and apparently tortured to death.

[just_a_voter]

Did China host a race in 2011? Where was the human rights protest?

[Ahmed]

I am from Bahrain,

1- There is no "Martial Law" in Bahrain, it is only the National Safety Law.

2- Bogus claims with no evidence about torture, if there were any, the brutal police will be tried in the court

3- Dont believe everything u hear from int'l media, cz its biased, exaggerated, and propaganda