Craig Bowen 
We, the undersigned corporations, write to attract your attention to the human rights and press freedom violations committed using the Bahraini authorities and opposition to human beings protesting the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Bahraini Government attaches prime importance to the Bahrain Grand Prix as a glamor reputation symbol of progress and global prestige. For this motive, the race has focused on protests calling for political reform and a pretext for the government to crack down on unfastened speech and assembly.
Leading human rights companies have documented the spike in human rights abuses that arise every yr across the race. The Bahraini authorities use such activities, and the lack of common situation approximately such violations, to sanitize—or “sports-wash”—its picture abroad while persevering to abuse its residents regionally.
Since 2015, Formula One has had a human rights assertion, which is followed after a mediation system, while Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) filed a criticism within the United Kingdom, in which the primary Formula One groups are based, below the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The hints emphasize the corporate duty to perform human rights due diligence and cooperate with legitimate processes to remediate impacts they have prompted or contributed to. Its “Statement of Commitment to Respect for Human Rights” pledges: “The Formula 1 business are devoted to respecting the world over acknowledged human rights in its operations globally.”
One case of Bahraini abuse is the imprisoned mom of 4 and Bahraini activist Najah Yusuf, who was arbitrarily arrested and stated she was tortured and sexually assaulted every week after Facebook posts criticizing the 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix posted on an account she co-managed. The seats called for “No to Formula races on occupied Bahraini land.” They criticized the Bahrain Grand Prix for being“nothing more than a way for the al-Khalifa own family to whitewash their criminal report and gross human rights violations.” They were also known for a “Freedom for the Formula 1 Detainee” march to highlight protestors jailed for criticizing the Bahrain Grand Prix. These posts have been blanketed in the evidence submitted by the Public Prosecution against her. Her social media pastime is opposing the Grand Prix changed into reference in her court judgment.
Formula One publicly expressed a problem in November 2018, approximately Ms. Yusuf’s case. The Bahraini government continues to assert that her arrest and conviction “has nothing to do” with her protest of the Grand Prix. The Bahraini Government made similar claims regarding different excessive-profile political prisoners, including Bahraini human rights defender Nabeel Rajab and the own family participants of Bahraini pro-democracy activist Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei. Rajab and Alwadaei were gifts throughout the OECD mediation system, leading to Formula One adopting its human rights coverage in 2015.
