The report points to the Bahrain’s government’s violent crackdown on its citizens as evidence of an unrelenting campaign against all forms of dissent. All opposition parties and independent media remain dissolved, while protests continue to be brutally crushed, critical voices targeted and online criticism policed through obtrusive cybercrime legislation.  Over 300 people were convicted in mass trials during 2019, while the judiciary continued to rely on confessions rather than physical evidence, encouraging the persistence of torture in Bahraini detention centres.

Deteriorating Prison Conditions

The report also sheds light on the deterioration of prison conditions in Bahrain throughout 2019, with inmates describing a range of abuses including religious discrimination, torture and unsanitary conditions, amongst other issues.  These issues compelled over 600 prisoners to launch a hunger strike in August 2019 to demand their basic rights be respected.

Bahrain was also widely condemned for its consistently failing to provide inmates with an  adequate standard of medical care, with Joe Stork from Human Rights Watch describing the practice as “outrageous”. Aging opposition leaders including Hassan Mushaima and academic Dr Abdujalil al-Singace complain that they are systematically subjected to medical negligence due to their political status. Similarly, Hajer Mansoor, who remains arbitrarily detained in reprisal for the activism of her son-in-law, BIRD Director of Advocacy Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, has regularly reported medical negligence at Isa Town Female Detention Centre, alongside targeted discrimination by prison authorities.

Continued British Support, Despite Abuses

BIRD found that the government of the United Kingdom has consistently failed to acknowledge or act upon international warnings about human rights violations in Bahrain, while maintaining technical and financial support to institutions known to be ineffective or abusive.  Funding for the UK government’s so-called “technical assistance” to Bahrain continues to be channeled through the highly secretive Integrated Activity Fund, precluding adequate scrutiny of Britain’s relationship with Bahrain.

The report also highlights a number of government scandals, including the $5 billion Petrofac lobbying scandal, the storming of the Bahraini embassy in London by police in mid-summer and the ongoing torture debacles at the University of Huddersfield.  In a unique move, the report tracks official and unofficial visits by British ministers, diplomats and members of the armed forces to their Bahraini counterparts, to illustrate the intimate links between powerful British institutions and Bahrain’s ruling elite.

Sportswashing Emerges as Key Regime PR strategy

Throughout 2019, BIRD’s campaigning and advocacy focused heavily on exposing Bahrain’s attempts to normalise its position in the global economy through investment in sporting and cultural events.  A chapter in the report tracks the tangled web of economic interests tying Bahrain’s ruling elites to a wide portfolio of sporting ventures, including motorsport, athletics, cycling and combat sports, which have proven to be both effective PR and highly lucrative.

As “sportswashing” has become increasingly central to Bahrain’s international relations strategy, the government has aggressively targeted any of its citizens who undermines the image of prosperity and normalcy that they have tried to project.  In 2019, BIRD successfully exposed Bahrain’s targeting of those who criticise the government’s cynical exploitation of professional sport, with significant campaigns contributing to the release of refugee footballer Hakeem AlAraibi and activist Najah Yusuf and professional footballer Hakeem AlAraibi.

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy at The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) commented: “The situation in Bahrain continued to deteriorate in 2019 and sadly there is little sign that it will improve as we enter a new decade.  Bahrain’s regime has been emboldened by the apparently unconditional support of their British allies and as we enter the post-Brexit era, the UK’s propensity to put trade above human rights seems likely to increase.”

Read the full report here

The report found Ms Yusuf’s detention to be arbitrary and called for the government of Bahrain to immediately “accord her an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations” and to ensure a “full and independent investigation” into the circumstances of her imprisonment.  Ms Yusuf alleges she was tortured and sexually abused by officers from Bahrain’s National Security Agency in 2017, after she posted criticism of Formula One’s Bahrain Grand Prix on Facebook.

The letter represents yet another U-turn from Formula One in their attitude to Ms Yusuf’s case.  In 2018 they expressed concern for Ms Yusuf after being provided with her court judgement which explicitly referenced her opposition to the race. However, within months they had reverted to accepting assurances from the government of Bahrain that her imprisonment was unrelated to their business. 

Lord Scriven commented “While I note their acknowledgement of the UN’s ruling on Najah’s case, I remain disappointed that Sacha Woodward-Hill and Formula One Management still do not take any responsibility.

If F1 is genuinely concerned with the UN decision and intend to raise their concerns with Bahrain, they must do so publicly while being transparent about the actions they expect from the Bahraini Government and the time scale they expect them to act within. 

If Bahrain’s response is unsatisfactory, F1 must publicly commit to not racing in the country. The UN and other human rights organisations have already established the link between the Grand Prix and the human rights abuses suffered by Najah; F1 can no longer simply wait and watch from the stands.”

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy at BIRD, commented “As if spending over two years arbitrarily imprisoned was not enough, upon Najah’s release she has faced the further insult of being dismissed from her job.  To this day, she has received no redress and there is no indication that Bahrain intends to hold her abusers to account.

While Formula One have rightly raised the recent UN ruling with the Bahraini government, they need to make it clear that a failure to act on the ruling’s recommendations will have consequences to their tangible business relationship.  A failure to do so will only assure Bahrain that F1 will continue to sportswash their abuses and encourage the increasingly arrogant regime in their brazen attacks on freedom of expression.”

In an open letter to Sacha Woodward-Hill, Formula One’s Chief Counsel, published this morning, the Lib Dem peer also urged the racing giant to ensure Ms Yusuf is compensated for the two and a half years she spent in prison, during which time she was tortured and sexually assaulted by Bahraini security officers.

Horrified to hear that, torture victim & @F1 critic Najah Yusuf was fired following her release after 2.5 years in prison in #Bahrain. UN #WGAD ruling declared her imprisonment arbitrary and unlawful – I’ve written to @F1 to urge them to ensure she is compensated adequately pic.twitter.com/PdUNSdfaGF

— Paul Scriven?️ (@Paulscriven) October 9, 2019

The UN WGAD found that Ms Yusuf was “brutalised” and  “deprived of her liberty for her exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression” and that “no trial of Ms Yusuf should have taken place.” Lord Scriven criticised Woodward-Hill for consistently relying on “assurances from the Bahraini government” to justify the companies “inaction”, advising that the WGAD decision rendered the government line demonstrably false.  

The letter also warned that Formula One bears a responsibility for the abuses experienced by Ms Yusuf, including her recent dismissal. Citing the WGAD ruling that Ms Yusuf be accorded “an enforceable right to compensation,” Lord Scriven encouraged Woodward-Hill to make “public representations to the Bahraini government” to ensure that Ms Yusuf’s work is reinstated and she is afforded “satisfactory redress” for her “years of arbitrary detention in connection with Formula One.”

Furthermore, noting Ms Yusuf’s case to be only one of several over the past six years where “the WGAD has found the government to be in violation of its human rights obligations,” Lord Scriven called on Formula One to “seriously review” their relationship with Bahrain’s government and take “immediate action” to prevent their business in the country “encouraging further violence and repression” in Bahrain.  

Ms Yusuf’s case featured prominently in Breaking the Silence, a recent joint-report by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) documenting patterns of abuse against female political prisoners in Bahrain.

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy at BIRD, commented: “The UN ruling clearly demonstrates that Najah’s criticism of the Bahrain Grand Prix directly led to her arrest, abuse and imprisonment and means that Formula One can no longer rely on the Bahraini government’s baseless assurances to avoid responsibility. I hope they will now use their influence to pressure their abusive partner to restore Najah’s employment and compensate her for her unlawful imprisonment. A failure to do so means further complicity in the abuses of the Bahraini regime.”

The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) welcome the Opinion of the Working Group and echo its calls for just compensation to Najah.

In its Opinion, the WGAD found Najah’s detention to be arbitrary under Category I (lacking a legal basis justifying the deprivation of liberty), Category II (in violation of the right to freedom of expression), and Category III (due to the unfair nature of her trial). The WGAD particularly emphasised “that no trial of Ms. Yusuf should have taken place” and called on Bahrain to “accord her an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations.”

In April 2017, Najah was summoned to the Muharraq Security Complex by the National Security Agency (NSA) and subjected to multiple interrogations over a five-day period. During this time, officers subjected Najah to physical and sexual assault, prevented her from meeting with legal counsel, and eventually forced her to sign a confession. On 25 June 2018, Bahrain’s Fourth Criminal Court sentenced Najah to three years’ imprisonment on the basis of this confession and a series of social media posts, including one that called for Formula One to cease racing activity in Bahrain, which she and others claim is “sportswashing” human rights violations. Her allegations of abuse were never investigated.

In November 2018, Formula One expressed “concern” for being mentioned in Najah’s court ruling as one of the reasons for her conviction, but later retracted their statement, citing assurances from the Bahraini government. 

On 10 August 2019, Najah was pardoned and released with 104 other individuals, as part of a royal practice to mark Eid AlAdha.

Summary of WGAD findings

In rendering its opinion, the WGAD made the following statements:*

“ The source submits, and the Government has not contested, that Ms. Yusuf endured daily interrogation and torture – including beatings, rape, sexual assault, and threats of her son being killed – by agents of the National Security Agency, without legal representation and in spite of her protests, for five days between 23 and 27 April 2017. 

“ The Working Group considers that, as the National Security Agency agents searched her social network accounts without a warrant and brutalized her during the interrogation sessions, she was placed outside the protection of the law . . . The Working Group further expresses its grave concern at the lack of judicial authorization or safeguards, which enabled Ms. Yusuf’s mistreatment during interrogations.”

“. . . The Working Group notes that such evidence should not have been used against Ms. Yusuf… because it was obtained without a search warrant and resulted in some charges being brought against her.”

“. . . the Working Group considers that she has been deprived of her liberty for her exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression as there is no legitimate aim or objective in a free and democratic society for her deprivation of liberty.” 

“Given its finding that Ms. Yusuf’s deprivation of liberty is arbitrary under category II, the Working Group wishes to emphasize that no trial of Ms. Yusuf should have taken place.”  

 “The Working Group cannot fail to express its gravest concern at the allegations of torture and ill-treatment described above, for the purpose of extracting her confession…”

“. . . The Working Group recalls that, under certain circumstances, widespread or systematic imprisonment or other severe deprivation of liberty in violation of the rules of international law may constitute crimes against humanity.”

“ The Working Group considers that . . . the appropriate remedy would be to. . .accord her an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law. “

* emphasis added

Quotes

Commenting on the decision, Najah Yusuf said: “I am glad to see that the UN has acknowledged my suffering and recognised the injustice of my imprisonment. However, there are still many political prisoners in Bahrain who have endured similar mistreatment, including my former cell mates Hajer and Medina. What happened to me is unfortunately just one case among many, and these other cases cannot not be forgotten. The international community must call on the Government of Bahrain to end its systematic abuse against its own citizens.”

Commenting on the decision, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy at BIRD said: “For too long, Formula One have relied on Bahrain’s false assurances to distance themselves from Najah’s ordeal. With today’s decision from the UN, Formula One can no longer shirk responsibility and must now ensure that Najah receives the compensation she deserves. Their race in Bahrain continues to legitimise a regime which persecutes all dissenting voices and they should provide assurances that what happened to Najah will never be repeated. If they are unable to guarantee the safety of peaceful protestors, they must consider cancelling the race; a failure to do so means further complicity in Bahrain’s repression.”

“Najah’s case is exemplary of the way that Bahrain treats anyone who dares to speak out about injustice or rights violations in Bahrain,” says Husain Abdulla, Executive Director of ADHRB. “There are thousands of other prisoners in Bahrain who are languishing in cells for no reason other than having the audacity to call for reform. This is something that the international community needs to remember – particularly as Bahrain currently enjoys a seat on the Human Rights Council.”

Notes for Editors:

Read the Full decision here:  https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Detention/Opinions/Session84/A_HRC_WGAD_2019_31.pdf

Lord Scriven relayed the accounts of torture and sexual assault of Bahraini human rights defender, Ebtisam AlSaegh and activist Najah Yusuf. Lord Scriven emphasised that in 2015, £16,000 of taxpayers’ money went into the training of the head of Muharraq Security Complex where these two women were abused in 2017. He went on to ask the House: “On what basis is the UK continuing to spend taxpayer’s money to train Bahraini officials who are implicated in human rights violations?”. In response, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, FCO Minister of State, stated that, “all training […] is in line with international standards […]” and neglected to address the complicit role of UK-funded training schemes that Lord Scriven had highlighted. 

Outstanding question on #Bahrain by Lord @PaulScriven:

On what basis is the UK continuing to spend taxpayers’ money to train Bahraini officials who are implicated in human rights violations?

Hansard: https://t.co/ml90zMQTFG@ealsaegh @pmillerinfo @patrickwintour @scribblercat pic.twitter.com/qfbMFCkh0Z

— Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei (@SAlwadaei) July 24, 2019

A subsequent interjection from Lord Collins of Highbury, Labour Peer and Shadow Spokesperson for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, criticised the Minister’s response as “not adequate” and invoked the UN Committee Against Torture’s verdict which declared that UK-funded oversight bodies in Bahrain are “not independent” and “not effective”. In light of this, the Peer urged the FCO to explain what actions they are taking to properly assess oversight bodies. The Minister replied that although “serious concerns remain”, he considers engagement and support, “particularly training”, to be a way forward. 

Conservative Peer Lord Lamont of Lerwick raised concerns about discrimination faced by the Shia population in the country, while Baroness Stern called on the new UK ambassador to Bahrain, Roderick Drummond, to actively support human rights defenders and raise their cases with the Bahraini government. 

At the close of the exchange, the FCO denied that the family members of BIRD’s Director, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei are imprisoned as a reprisal against his human rights activism, based solely on the Bahraini government’s assurances. This is in flagrant disregard of the international community which has repeatedly expressed grave concerns at the reprisals exacted on the Alwadaei family, including the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention’s decision which declared their imprisonment to be “arbitrary”, “unlawful” and “acts of reprisal”.

It’s shame the FCO continue to accept Bahrain’s lies on the unlawful imprisonment of my family members. https://t.co/UbR6SdeZRy pic.twitter.com/HUvEpTGoDY

— Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei (@SAlwadaei) July 24, 2019

The UK government’s repeated refusal to acknowledge human rights violations perpetrated by the Bahraini authorities is devoid of legitimacy. The UK government must review its position on Bahrain, and utilise its allyship in order to publicly denounce the abuses committed by its partner and call on them to respect binding legal obligations and international standards.

The letter highlighted the case of Hajer Mansoor, mother-in-law of the Director of Advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, who claims that prison authorities have restricted access for several months to mammogram results and failed to arrange recommended follow-up appointments for a range of conditions including a lump in her breast and kidney stones. Reports of medical negligence are common in Bahrain; Amnesty International have condemned the practice and called for Bahrain to end their mistreatment and release Ms Mansoor.

The letter also drew attention to punitive restrictions on family visitation and prisoners time outside of their cells. When an assault led by prison director Lt. Col. Mariam Albardoli on Ms Mansoor and her cellmate, Medina Ali, was reported in the British press in September last year, prisoners have been restricted to their cells for up to 23 hours a day.  

Since the assault, a glass barrier has also been erected between prisoners and their families during visits, preventing physical contact between prisoners and their relatives. Due to the distress such conditions would cause their young children and elderly parents, Ms Mansoor, Ms Ali and their cellmate, Najah Yusuf, have refused visits and therefore have not seen their children for over nine months.  

Prison authorities refused requests for families to be able to visit the prison without the barrier for the Eid holiday – traditionally a time for clemency.  

Today, BIRD received news that Ms Mansoor and her cellmates have had their phone calls suspended for a week, further contributing to their isolation.

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, BIRD Director of Advocacy commented: “It is heart-breaking to see my mother-in-law subjected to such degrading treatment. Female political prisoners in Bahrain have consistently protested the deteriorating conditions in Isa Town Prison, to no avail. For too long there has been a deafening silence from the British government regarding conditions in Bahrain’s prisons; today’s letter sends a strong message that MPs will not permit Britain’s allies to abuse human rights unabated.”

16 Cross-party MPs urge @Jeremy_Hunt to press #Bahrain to end ‘Punitive Measures’ against female political detainees.

– My mother in law Hajer Mansoor is being denied access to adequate medical care.

– Hajer, Madina & Najah haven’t seen their families for 9 months and counting. pic.twitter.com/tZyXwY91EC

— Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei (@SAlwadaei) June 19, 2019

Najah Yusuf is a Bahraini activist and mother-of-four, who was imprisoned in 2017 for social media posts which included criticism of Formula One’s Bahrain Grand Prix. Ms Yusuf’s allegation that her conviction depended on a confession coerced after she was tortured and sexually abused in detention triggered significant condemnation from international human rights groups in March this year.

Hajer Mansoor, along with her son Sayed Nizar Alwadaei and nephew Mahmood Marzooq, were declared as “arbitrarily detained” by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention earlier this year. UN experts deemed their sentences as a “reprisal” for the activism of her son-in-law, BIRD Director of Advocacy, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei.

Read the Letter by 16 MPs.

The statement claims that “the conviction of Najah has no connection whatsoever to the Formula One race, nor to any other freedom of expression issues”. It further elaborates that  Najah was convicted for creating and managing accounts across social media platforms posting violent content promoting and inciting “acts of terrorism”.

#Bahrain Embassy Statement Regarding Recently Published Articles Relating to Najah Yusuf and the Formula One Grand Prix pic.twitter.com/rY1Z6Q6i7f

— Bahrain Embassy UK (@BahrainEmbUK) March 28, 2019

Such a statement contradicts the Public Prosecution’s evidence against Najah, which lists a number of Facebook posts criticising the Government’s use of F1 to “whitewash” its dire human rights record and call for peaceful protests against the 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix, published between 12 and 17 April.

Along with the statement, the Embassy published a series of violent posts from a Twitter page Najah was accused to co-manage. Despite these posts were published in February 2019, the Embassy attributed them to Najah, who has been in prison since April 2017, with no access to any social media accounts or smartphones. Najah was convicted on 25 June 2018.

The Embassy failed to make any references to the Public Prosecution evidence or the court ruling explicitly mentioning social media criticism of the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix as one of the bases for Najah’s conviction.

Commenting, the Director of Advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, said: “The Bahraini Government is now forging evidence against Najah in a desperate attempt to save face in response to an international outcry. By using Twitter evidence, which was posted eight months after Najah’s conviction, and attributing it to her, they have failed to prove anything other than their own guilt. Instead of covering up Najah’s abuse, the Bahraini Government must release her immediately and hold those responsible for her sexual assault and torture to account.”

During the conference, a joint letter to Jean Todt, President of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), was also published, calling on the FIA to back calls for Najah’s release.  The letter was signed by leading international NGOs and trade unions, including members of the Sport and Rights Alliance.  Najah Yusuf is a Bahraini activist serving a three year prison sentence for criticising the 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix on social media.

Speakers at the conference included Lord Scriven, Lib-Dem Peer, Clive Baldwin, Senior Legal Advisor at HRW, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy at BIRD and Rebecca Vincent, Director of RSF’s London Bureau.  The conference was introduced by Stephanie Hancock, Media Manager at HRW, who summarised Najah’s case and announced the publication of the joint letter to Jean Todt.

Clive Baldwin began proceedings by providing an outline on the deterioration of the human rights situation in Bahrain, asserting that “the situation in Bahrain is not getting better, in fact it is getting worse.”  He went on to remind Formula 1 of their “legal obligation to protect human rights”, highlighting the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

Lord Scriven discussed his “positive” recent meeting with Sacha Woodward-Hill, General Counsel to Formula 1, who committed to further investigate Najah’s case.  However, proclaiming that “sport does not take place in a moral vacuum”, Lord Scriven urged senior Formula 1 officials to visit Najah in prison before the Grand Prix, promising to bring the campaign to sponsors and individual drivers should they fail to do so.

During a question-and-answer session after his speech, Lord Scriven took aim at the British government’s complicity in Bahraini human rights abuses, where he accused the government of “putting arms sales ahead of human rights.” He also urged journalists covering the race in Bahrain to do their part by shedding light on the atmosphere in which the race takes place.

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei shared some of his personal interactions with Najah Yusuf from Bahrain’s notorious Isa Town Prison, praising the courage it took for her to speak out about her sexual assault at the hands of Bahraini security forces in 2017.  He went on to highlight Bahrain’s long history of suppressing protests against the Grand Prix, highlighting the case of Salah Abbas who was killed protesting the race in 2012.  He also shared his own experience with Bahraini police, pointing to the scars on his face as evidence of the torture he survived in 2011.  

Finally, Rebecca Vincent shed light on the extent of restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly in Bahrain, pointing out that the country placed 166th out of 180 countries on RSF’s World Press Freedom Index. She drew attention to some of the draconian measures used to suppress freedom of expression, including the jailing of journalists and the revocation of citizenship.

More Information:

1. Press release on joint letter to Jean Todt https://birdbh.org/2019/03/bahrain-rights-watchdogs-tell-formula-one-leaders-to-use-leverage-to-free-activists/
2. Najah Yusuf oped in The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/mar/27/najah-yusuf-prison-f1-bahrain-grand-prix
3. BIRD and London CAAT will be holding a protest outside Formula 1’s London Headquarters this Friday at 11am – https://www.facebook.com/events/2241508189438833/

The letter urges Mr Todt to call for the immediate release of those imprisoned for criticising Formula 1 in light of the annual spike in human rights violations in Bahrain around the time of the race and the continued detentions of activists from past races. The letter emphasises Formula 1’s failure to abide by their own Statement of Commitment to Respect for Human Rights, which commits the company to “respecting internationally recognised human rights in its operations globally.”

The groups expressed particular concern for the case of Najah Yusuf, who was sentenced to three years in prison a week after criticising the 2017 Grand Prix on Facebook. Yusuf says she was tortured and sexually assaulted by Bahrain’s National Security Agency over the course of five days of interrogation in late April 2017, and forced her to sign a confession that they would not allow her to read.

The NGOs also raised other cases related to Formula One, including Bahraini photojournalist Ahmed Humaidan, whose health has seriously deteriorated since being imprisoned for inciting against “public order” in the run-up to the race in 2014.

“We have escalated our calls for Najah and Humaidan’s release with FIA leaders and hope this letter will be a wake-up call for Formula 1 which compels them to take the arrests of journalists and activists around their race seriously,” said Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD).

The letter urges Mr Todt to publicly call for Ms Yusuf and Mr Humaidan’s “immediate and unconditional release”. The NGOs also encourage the FIA and Formula 1 to send a “high-level delegation” to visit both prisoners in Isa Town Prison and Jau Prison, respectively, pointing to similar action by FIFA in the case of unjustly jailed Bahraini refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi earlier this year.

The Bahrain Grand Prix plays a central role in “sport-washing” the Bahraini government’s human rights abuses and boosting their international prestige, the letter adds.

Since 2011 the race has become a focal point for protests calling for political reform, as well as a pretext for government crackdowns on freedom of speech and assembly.  The letter condemns the “clear pattern of repression and detention of journalists” that has accompanied the race since its inauguration in 2004.

“Formula 1 should not continue to shirk responsibility for these cases by accepting the hollow assurances of the Bahraini government.  At the very least, we expect FIA and F1 leaders to visit them in prison to send the signal to Bahraini leaders such arrests should not be part of the Grand Prix,” Mr Alwadaei further said.

Additionally, Gigi Alford, Coordinator for the Sport & Rights Alliance, a global coalition of NGOs and trade unions that signed on to the letter, said: “Using the Grand Prix to cover up repression has been cost-free for Bahrain for too long, and we’re asking the FIA and F1 to no longer be part of that. It’s not only in their best interest to rid their marquee race of links to human rights abuses, it is their responsibility to do so under international standards, as they already know. This letter makes clear to the FIA, F1, and teams that to run a legitimate business, their operations and business partners, such as the government of Bahrain, must not cause or contribute to human rights harms.”

Read Joint Letter to FIA 27 March 2019

Hajer Mansoor Hassan, convicted in reprisal for the activism of her son-in-law, Najah Yusuf, tortured and sexually abused for her criticism of the Formula One Grand Prix, and Medina Ali, also arrested, beaten and convicted over politicised charges, are all serving three years in prison following deeply flawed trials.

The three recounted their ordeals suffered at the hands of the Bahraini authorities “in an era where the world is especially attuned to hearing the ordeal suffered by women”. They also exposed the worsening prison conditions in Isa Town Prison, including punitive measures which they claim are designed to “break [them]”.

The women have not seen their families since September 2018, when they were assaulted by prison guards in response to the international attention they received at the UN and UK government. A glass-barrier has been imposed in the visitation room, which the women refuse to accept. “It would break our hearts to see our children behind a glass barrier and not be able to hug them”, they said, “We cannot accept to see our elderly parents, some of whom are bound to a wheelchair, in distress, without being able to offer them comfort nor solace.”

Since the beginning of the year, the three women have also been denied access to urgent medical care. Hajer, in particular, was refused access to examination for a lump in her breast which prompted an “Urgent Action” by Amnesty International.

They appealed to the High Commissioner to “speak out” and “act on [their] behalf” to secure their release.

Full letter below:

Dear Michelle Bachelet,

We are three Bahraini women who have been incarcerated by our corrupt justice system, for it believes that freedom of expression is a crime. As the new year begins, we express ourselves openly and honestly in an era where the world is especially attuned to hearing the ordeal suffered by women.

We were moved by your appointment as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in September, as you, too, have felt the brutality of a dictatorship first hand. Each of us has been subjected to every possible form of humiliation and violence. Some of us have been sexually assaulted, but all of us have been tortured and continue to languish in prison.

Our Ordeals

I, Hajer Mansoor, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. My crime is that my son-in-law, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, dedicates his life to the promotion of human rights in my country. In October 2017, I was arbitrarily arrested, tortured and convicted on trumped-up charges of planting a fake bomb, a fallacy that the government also applied to my son and nephew. The only incriminating evidence they hold against us are confessions extracted under torture. My own ordeal is painful, but seeing my family undergo the same brutality is a different, more torturous, form of suffering.

I, Medina Ali, have been away from my six-year-old son for a year and a half now. I vividly remember the night I was taken. I was pulled out of my car by masked, armed men in a civilian car, who threatened me with death. During my detention, I was harshly beaten and threatened with rape. The injuries I sustained on my head have left their mark; a painful reminder of my powerlessness at the time. However, I will not allow an authoritarian regime to dictate my future. They may have charged and sentenced to three years in prison for harbouring a fugitive on coerced confessions, and silenced me from voicing my torture back then; but this will not stop me now.

I, Najah Yusuf, was sexually assaulted by the National Security Agency. Rape is a powerful weapon, as the victim’s shame is used to leverage their silence. I was tortured and humiliated for four, exhausting days until I gave them what they wanted; confessions for a crime I did not commit. My attempts to report the horrors of my sexual abuse to the prosecution and the judge fell on deaf ears. No one cared to listen. I only realised the extent of corruption in our justice system when I witnessed one of my abusers testifying against me in court. Soon after, I was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of inciting the overthrow of the regime, partly by criticising the Bahrain Grand Prix on Facebook. Last October, I lost the appeal against my conviction; my unjustified imprisonment goes on.

The Assault by Prison Authorities

When the UN Secretary-General and UK Parliament spoke about the reprisals against in September 2018, we felt hopeful that our torment would finally be heard and would soon end. This attention, however, prompted prison guards, led by the head of the prison, Major Mariam Albardoli, to humiliate, assault and isolate us. As I, Hajer, was rushed to hospital following the assault, I could not help but remember how in July, I paid a similar price for the UN’s and UK Parliament’s attention on my case.

The Punitive Measures

Since the incident, the prison authorities have been determined to break us; they have taken away our few remaining moments of joy, making our time in prison even more unbearable.  

We spend 22 hours a day locked in our cell, but this solitude does not compare to the despair we feel for not having seen our families since the assault took place. For over three months, a glass barrier has been placed in the visitation room to separate the inmates from their families. It would break our hearts to see our children behind a glass barrier and not be able to hug them. We cannot accept to see our elderly parents, some of whom are bound to a wheelchair, in distress, without being able to offer them comfort nor solace. In the past, we resolved similar problems by going on hunger strike. This time, however, we were forced to end our hunger strike after five days in October without being granted our rights, as our bodies quickly became frail. While the requests of other inmates to see their families without the barrier have been addressed with resolution; this same right remains a luxury that we are not afforded.

The harassment we face remains severe; we have shed tears over the intimidation and discrimination we still face. Our personal belongings have been confiscated, including our family photos and books; we are not allowed to participate in the workshops organised for all the inmates in Isa Town prison, and the times allocated to meals are scheduled such that they conflict with prayer times. We thought the situation could not become any worse, but we were wrong.

A Policy of Isolation

Soon enough, the administration began punishing those who spoke with us, with the ultimate aim to isolate us completely. Back in December, an inmate and good friend to us was placed in solitary confinement for two weeks after I, Hajer, shared a packet of crisps with her. Another inmate was not allowed to smoke for a week after we provided her with the contact details of the National Institute for Human Rights, a local oversight body to whom we have the right to report our complaints. Most recently, another inmate in her fifties who suffers from arthritis was moved to another cell and forced to sleep on the floor after speaking with us.

This new policy of isolation has proven to be painfully successful. All inmates are progressively avoiding us, and we cannot blame them. If the price for sharing food or exchanging a few words with us is two weeks of solitary confinement or sleeping on the floor, we would probably do the same.

In the meantime, Bahrain’s human rights mechanisms continue to defend the abusive authorities and whitewash their crimes. The bodies we have reported to find no wrongdoing by dismissing all of our complaints. They even denied that we went on a hunger strike; such is the level of deception that they are practising.

Bahrain presents itself as progressive, but this is just a fantasy that some governments are all too ready to believe. Our ordeal coincides with the strengthening of political support provided to Bahrain from Washington and London.

As long as we remain capable of projecting our voices, we will ensure that our suffering is not rendered futile. We are certain that our fates can be altered. So we appeal to you in your capacity of High Commissioner to act on our behalf. Please, speak out about our ordeals and call for our release; don’t leave us here alone.

Yours Sincerely,

Hajer Mansoor

Medina Ali

Najah Yusuf