Formula 1 has been accused of ignoring human rights abuses in Bahrain.

Posted 2 years ago

The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird) says F1 has "abandoned those who have been tortured and imprisoned" partly as a result of its criticism of the breed.

A F1 spokesman said: "We take our responsibilities on rights very seriously and set high ethical standards across counterparties and our supply chain."These "were enshrined in the contracts, and we pay close attention to their observance".

Syed Ahmed Alwadei, Director of Advocacy for Bird, has written a letter to F1 President and Chief Executive Officer Stefano Domenicali following the decision to award a new 15-year contract to the Bahrain race.

The letter said the contract "directly contradicts your claim from last year that F1 'takes violence, human rights abuses and repression very seriously'".

It adds that the grand prix has "contributed to the abuse and suffering of individuals, and F1 has failed to adequately use its platform to end the abuse or secure redress for these victims".

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