• Ahead of the commencement of the 2023 Formula One (F1) season which begins this weekend in Bahrain, a coalition of 21 rights groups and Trade Unions have written to Stefano Domenicali, the CEO of F1 to call for urgent disclosure of human rights articles in F1 contracts. 

• 21 NGOs including the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and Human Rights Watch are seeking clarification after the F1 CEO revealed in a recent interview that F1 contracts contain articles permitting the withdrawal of the sport from host countries if F1 was not satisfied “with the way human rights issues have developed in a country”. Rights groups are now calling on Mr Domencali to disclose these articles.

• Rights groups cite the example of Lewis Hamilton, as well as Pope Francis, as public figures who have used their platform to highlight ongoing human rights issues in Bahrain, such as the ongoing detention of political prisoners and use of the death penalty, and have called on F1 to follow their examples.

• In their letter, NGOs raised concerns over ongoing repression in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, citing mass executions in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain’s ongoing imprisonment of political leaders – such as opposition leader Hassan Mushaima and long-term hunger-striking human rights defender and academic, Dr Abdulajlil AlSingace, as well as those at imminent risk of execution on death row, including Mohammed Ramadhan, Husain Moosa. The letter demands F1 to “use all available leverage” to pressure Bahrain for their immediate release. 

• The rights groups further requested F1 “meet with victims” such as former female political prisoners and torture survivors Najah Yusuf and Hajer Mansoor, mother of arbitrarily imprisoned Sayed Nizar Alwadaei, as well as to issue a public statement “calling on F1 host countries to respect human rights to freedom of expression and assembly, to ensure nobody is subjected to reprisals during the races”.

• These calls come as UK lawmakers also express concerns over F1’s role in sportswashing abuse in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and demand that F1 commission an independent inquiry into the implications of its races in rights violations.

Key quotes:

• “We call upon you in the strongest of terms to end your role in sportswashing authoritarian Gulf regimes’ horrendous abuses, once and for all […]”

• “We are writing […] to raise our serious concerns over F1’s ongoing role in ‘sportswashing’ amidst a deterioration in Bahrain’s human rights situation.”

• “Gulf dictatorships continue to oversee some of the most repressive and violent regimes on the planet while retaining their generous F1 contracts. It therefore appears that F1’s threshold for a country to be considered as ‘not going in the right direction’, thus causing the articles referenced to be invoked, is unreasonable to such a level that it is rendered meaningless.”

• “Since your 2022 races, human rights in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have been increasingly trampled upon by these autocracies. If you are serious about putting human rights ‘at the centre’ of your agenda, such egregious violations must not go unchallenged by F1.”

• “It is abundantly clear that human rights in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia could not be further from ‘going in the right direction’. F1’s ongoing operations in these states, without efforts to address human rights concerns, will serve only to facilitate sportswashing of abuses.”

Comments

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), commented: “The pressure is mounting on Formula One management to be transparent on its relationship with abusive authoritarian regimes. They must now respond to calls from expert human rights organisations around the world and reveal the human rights articles in their contracts which would allow them to withdraw hosting privileges from a country in light of continued harrowing human rights violations of international law by those states.” 

Husain Abdulla, Executive Director of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), commented: “If Formula One insists on refusing to acknowledge both the abuses committed by their business partners, and the pleas coming directly from victims themselves, how can they claim their human rights policy is worth the paper it’s written on? Our efforts compelled them to adopt a human rights policy and they now have a duty to implement it”.

Andrea Florence, Director of Sport & Rights Alliance, commented: “The growing trend of ‘sportswashing’ often goes hand in hand with repressing athletes’ rights to protest. Formula 1 and Federation Internationale d’Automobile (FIA) should use all available leverage to hold Bahrain accountable to its human rights violations – and they can start by protecting the voices of athletes who make their sport possible.” 

• • Read the full letter 

• 90 European legislators have written to FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, to raise concerns that the FIA and F1 are “actively facilitating sportswashing in Gulf countries” and creating a “stark double standard” by publicly condemning the war in Ukraine whilst failing to do so in the Gulf;

• Their letter, which comes ahead of F1 races in Bahrain from 18 to 20 March and races in Saudi Arabia from 25 to 27 March, highlights the Gulf states’ participation in the “catastrophic” Saudi-led war in Yemen, described as “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis” by the United Nations, as well as the commission of war crimes by the Saudi-led coalition;

• Following the largest mass execution in Saudi Arabia’s modern history, the letter also raises the “unlawful imprisonment” and torture of pro-democracy protesters in Bahrain, some of whom are at risk of imminent execution;

• The letter states that not only have these atrocities been “met with silence” by the FIA, but Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have been “rewarded” by the FIA, the latter with what was termed the longest race contract deal ever signed and calls upon the FIA to, “establish a clear human rights policy”, publicly raise individual cases and express the same “compassion” and “solidarity” for victims of Gulf states’ human rights abuses, as FIA expressed for victims of Russia’s abuses;

• The letter was sent by Brendan O’Hara MP on behalf of 90 lawmakers from the parliaments of the UK, Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, Germany, and the EU, including 49 from the UK, 24 from Spain, and others from Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, as well as members of the European Parliament;

• Politicians also stated Ben Sulayem’s personal connections to the leaders of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) “should not prevent” him “from taking a public stance against the ongoing conflict in Yemen”;

• This letter compounds the pressure mounting on F1 and FIA this week after calls for them to take action on human rights were made by 27 Rights Groups and Trade Unions yesterday and a letter sent by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) last week.

16 March 2022 – Today, 90 politicians have written to President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Mohammed Ben Sulayem, stating that the FIA and Formula 1 (F1) are “actively facilitating sportswashing in Gulf countries” and their failure to raise abuses committed by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE creates a “stark double standard” in comparison to the FIA’s position on the war in Ukraine, calling on the FIA to “apply the same moral standards” everywhere and adopt a human rights policy.

The letter comes days ahead of the F1 Gulf Air Grand Prix in Bahrain, with the following race set to take place in Saudi Arabia, and highlights the participation of Gulf states in the ongoing military campaign waging a “catastrophic” war in Yemen. Politicians commended Ben Sulayemen on the FIA’s s condemnation of the Russian war in Ukraine, but called upon him to ensure that the FIA take a “public stance” on the 7-year-long war in Yemen too. The FIA was told to “publicly sympathise with these victims”, as they had done with victims in Ukraine

The letter’s signatories include members of the UK, EU, Spanish, French, Irish, Italian, and German parliaments, and was sent by Brendan O’Hara MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Democracy and Human Rights in the Gulf. 

Signatories raised cases of individual victims to human rights violations in Gulf states where F1 races, including that of opposition leader and human rights defender, Dr Abduljalil AlSingace, who has been wrongfully imprisoned for 11 years this week and on hunger strike for over 250 days in Bahrain. The cases of arbitrarily detained children and death row inmates Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa in Bahrain were also raised in the letter.

Brendan O’Hara MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Democracy and Human Rights in the Gulf, commented: “Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s affiliations with King Hamad and Mohammed Bin Zayed shouldn’t prevent him from standing up to violations committed by their regimes. The FIA and F1 simply should not be sportswashing mass executions in Saudi Arabia, systematic repression in Bahrain and the ongoing catastrophic war in Yemen. It is high time the FIA ends their hypocrisy and cancels their races in abusive Gulf regimes.”

Husain Abdulla, Executive Director of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), commented: “This landmark call adds to the mounting pressure on F1 and FIA to take human rights seriously. One rule for Europe and another for the Middle East simply cannot stand any longer. Their hypocrisy has been laid bare as lawmakers have rightly united to demand that they act. This call shows there is a clear international consensus that the FIA will be on the wrong side of history if they continue to turn a blind eye to the egregious abuses of their business partners in the Gulf.”

Lord Scriven, Liberal Democrat Peer and Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Democracy and Human Rights in the Gulf, commented: “For years, many have called for F1 and the FIA to do the right thing but our demands have fallen on deaf ears. F1 has taken a clear human rights stance and cancelled their contract with Russia. Why, then, have they not applied the same standards to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE? The FIA must put an end to their blood-stained business with Bahrain and its abusive Gulf neighbours, and cancel F1 races there. The FIA should finally put their morals where their mouth is and take action to end their role in sportswashing deplorable human rights violations in the Gulf.”

Jeed Basyouni, Head of Reprieve’s work in Middle East and North Africa, commented: “Lawmakers across Europe are urging FIA and F1 not to allow next week’s races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to sportswash their horrific human rights violations. By choosing to race in the Gulf, FIA and F1 have a responsibility to speak out. A failure to do so will be seen as an effective endorsement of the torture and execution of pro-democracy protesters and child defendants in the countries they have chosen as partners.”

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), commented: “The FIA and F1 have taken a principled stance against the atrocities perpetrated by Russia. To not take the same stance on atrocities perpetrated by the Gulf states would send the message that our lives matter less.”

“I was tortured at the hands of Bahraini officials and members of my family are imprisoned, in retaliation for my human rights work, including urging F1 to adopt a human rights policy, which F1 has still failed to apply. My case is just one example among thousands of the repression within Bahrain and across the Gulf.”

Full letter here.

• 27 NGOs have written to Formula 1 (F1) CEO, Stefano Domenicali, to raise human rights concerns ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend;

• The letter raises concerns over F1’s recent decision to reward Bahrain with what was termed the longest race contract deal ever signed “despite continuing serious human rights abuses […] and political repression in Bahrain”;

• Rights groups criticised F1 for its “failure to engage with civil society and acknowledge rights abuse in Bahrain” and highlighted the case of Bahraini political prisoner, Dr Abduljalil AlSingace, who’s been on hunger strike for over 250 days and who was arrested 11 years ago this week (17 March 2011). His strike was raised with Lewis Hamilton in November;
  
  
• Rights groups praised F1’s cancellation of its race in Russia but condemned the company for creating a “clear double standard” regarding Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) participation in the war in Yemen, stating there is “one rule applied for victims of war in Europe and another for victims in the Middle East”;

• Their letter calls upon F1 to use its platform to secure redress for victims whose abuse was connected to their races, review their policy on racing in Gulf states in light of their participation in the war in Yemen, evaluate their contract with Bahrain and reconsider setting up an independent commission of experts to investigate abuses connected to F1’s activities in Bahrain;
  
  
• Yesterday, Lewis Hamilton received a letter from activist and political prisoner in Bahrain, Ali AlHajee (read the Guardian coverage here);

• Ahead of the Bahrain GP, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) wrote to F1 drivers, Sebastian Vettel, George Russell, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen to call on them to “stand against war everywhere” and “uphold the same standards” they applied in their public stances in support of Ukraine when it comes to victims in “Yemen, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia […] not only in Europe”.

15 March 2022 – 27 NGOs wrote to the CEO of Formula 1 (F1), Stefano Domenicali, to condemn the company’s “clear double standard” on Ukraine in comparison to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend. Rights groups raised concerns over F1’s failure to engage with rights groups in spite of “continued institutionalized repression” in Bahrain, whilst calling on F1 to use their platform to secure redress for victims in Bahrain, reconsider their policy on racing in Gulf states due to their role in waging war in Yemen, and evaluate their contract with Bahrain, said the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) today. 

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Advocacy Director at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, commented: “Formula 1 must uphold values of peace and unity everywhere, particularly in the countries where they are racing. At present the F1 races in the Gulf are only enabling Bahrain and Saudi to sportswash their abysmal human rights records which continue to deteriorate. How long will F1 fans allow their sport to be exploited by abusive regimes? Rewarding Bahrain with one of the longest contracts in racing history speaks volumes about how they dismiss human rights concerns and prioritise profit. This hypocrisy must end.”

Husain Abdullah, Executive Director of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), commented: “When Formula 1 finally adopted a human rights policy, it failed to make any meaningful impact on the victims who have suffered due to the staging of their races in the Gulf. We once again call upon F1 to refrain from sportswashing and to stand up for the victims of abuse and war in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Yemen once and for all, just as they have done in Ukraine.”

Full letter can be read here. 

The letter was sent last week by Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Layla Moran MP, and re-sent yesterday backed by an additional 20 signatories after F1 failed to respond to a request for an urgent meeting. The call for an inquiry into historic human rights abuses has also been backed by 24 leading rights groups and trade unions.

In the letter, MPs claim that F1 has “consistently failed to support victims of abuses directly linked” to its races, including Bahraini activist Najah Yusuf, who was tortured and imprisoned for criticising the 2017 Grand Prix and whose son is detained in “reprisal” for her activism. Signatories also highlighted a severe deterioration in the human rights situation in Bahrain since the race was cancelled a decade ago during the “brutal suppression of Bahrain’s Arab Spring uprising,” urging F1 to follow the example of F1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, who has acknowledged human rights issues in countries where F1 races. 

Particular concern was raised over the continued imprisonment of the leaders of the uprising, including Hassan Mushaima and Dr Abduljalil Al-Singace. The letter also raises the case of Sayed Nizar Alwadaei, who remains imprisoned in reprisal for the human rights work of his brother-in-law, BIRD Director Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, as well as the recent detention of over a dozen children by Bahraini police, including a boy of just 11 detained last month for protesting against last year’s Grand Prix.

Earlier this month, members of the European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted a resolution condemning human rights abuses in Bahrain; the Greens-European Free Alliance bloc made explicit calls for EU member states “not to attend and participate in the upcoming Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2021,” an example of growing international concern over sports-washing.

Read the full letter here.

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), commented: “MPs have made it crystal clear that F1 can no longer shirk their human rights responsibility while reaping massive profits from their relationship with abusive partners. Now it’s up to F1 to decide whether they will act or continue to drag their reputation through the mud.

Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commented: “F1’s dismissal of our serious human rights concerns is simply not good enough. They have consistently failed to support victims of abuses directly linked to their races.

We urge F1 to publicly acknowledge the legitimate human rights concerns voiced by Lewis Hamilton, to establish an independent inquiry into any abuses linked to the Grand Prix and meet privately with stakeholders and victims to start putting this right.”

Brendan O’Hara, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Democracy and Human Rights in the Gulf, commented: “I am extremely disappointed that F1, despite the overwhelming evidence they have in front of them have chosen to follow the UK government’s lead in turning a blind eye to the well documented human rights abuses in Bahrain, simply to maximise their profits.”

Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavillion, commented: “In 2012, I backed calls for the Bahrain Grand Prix to be cancelled in light of the government’s violent crackdown on dissent, but almost a decade later F1 is still operating in Bahrain, and is linked to cases of abuse.  F1’s most successful driver, Sir Lewis Hamilton,  recognises F1’s “massive problem” with human rights, which F1’s management are ignoring.  They should follow the lead of their champion driver and take concrete steps to ensure their sport is no longer used by Bahrain as an excuse to target dissenting voices.”

Lord Scriven commented: “F1 still offers Bahrain a global stage from which to sportswash their appalling rights record, despite abundant evidence linking human rights violations back to their events. This has created a vicious cycle every time F1 returns to the country, with Bahrain crushing dissent while trumpeting themselves as a country fit to play on the international stage. It is time for F1 finally to step up and launch an independent inquiry into rights abuses connected to their races, or risk  further dragging the reputation of their sport into the mud.”

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

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/