Formula One faces legal challenge over lawsuit filed by Bahrain torture victims, sportswashing

Formula One's Grand Prix has faced a legal challenge after two Bahraini women, allegedly tortured after protesting F1 in the kingdom, filed a lawsuit against the company over breaching the human rights standards it claims to observe in the Persian Gulf country.

The legal complaint was made on Wednesday by the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird) and two Bahraini women, Najah Yusuf and Hajer Mansoor, who were detained and allegedly tortured in prison after peaceful criticism of F1 in their home country in 2017.

Yusuf, a former civil servant and mother of four, condemned F1 and the Bahraini government in a Facebook post at that time, calling the Grand Prix "nothing more than a way for the al-Khalifa family to whitewash their criminal record and gross human rights violations," referring to the island kingdom's ruling royal family.

Yusuf said she was assaulted, tortured and imprisoned for three years following the social media post and only released by royal pardon in August 2019 after international pressure.

Mansoor was arrested, tortured and imprisoned in the same year in connection with her protest activities before she was released in 2020.

The Bird and the two Bahraini women lodged the complaint through the UK National Contact Point (UK NCP), which is part of the UK's international trade department that handles allegations of breaking guidelines by British firms, after F1 agreed a new deal with Bahrain in February to host the race until 2036, the longest contract in the sport’s history.

“Formula One failed to engage with human rights stakeholders, including human rights organizations, legislators from across Europe, victims impacted by the Formula One race and those who have faced reprisals for their human rights work,” the complaint said.

The lawsuit stressed that F1 has failed to conduct a due diligence process in assessment of human rights before awarding the new contract, and “forced disappearances, extrajudicial killing and torture” continue to occur in Bahrain.

The complaint said that despite attempts by the Bahraini government to use the event to "sportswash" the kingdom's image, human rights abuses by authorities suppressing protests spike each year when the Grand Prix is held.

The Bahrain F1 Grand Prix is scheduled to be held in March 2023.

Bahrain has highest number of political prisoners among Arab countries: Rights group

An independent human rights organization says Bahrain has the highest number of imprisoned political opponents among Arab countries.

The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) said in a report last month that Bahrain, under the ruling Al Khalifah dynasty, has the largest number of imprisoned rights activists, and it is estimated that there are some 4,500 campaigners being held behind bars across the country.

BCHR highlighted that Bahraini authorities have arrested about 15,000 people for their political beliefs over the last decade, thus turning the country into the first Arab nation with the highest number of prisoners in recent years.

The independent rights organization emphasized that human rights are being violated on a large scale at detention centers across the Persian Gulf kingdom, and inmates are exposed to various forms of torture and ill-treatment.

Demonstrations have been held in Bahrain on a regular basis since the popular uprising began in the Arab country in mid-February 2011.

People demand that the Al Khalifah regime relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.

Manama, however, has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any form of dissent.

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