NO to Bahrain Grand Prix - Appeal to Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)

We, the undersigned appeal to your organisation NOT to grant permission to hold the event in Bahrain given the current situation in the country.

The Kingdom of Bahrain is currently under martial law after the government's lethal crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations in March 2011.

Some 30+ unarmed civilians have been killed by security forces (some at point-blank range or as the result of torture). Alleged supporters of the protests have been beaten up by masked government security personnel, arrested at roadblocks and taken from their homes mainly in the 70% majority Shia villages. Some have died in custody.

100's of civilians have gone missing including men, women, children, medical personnel, human rights supporters and pro-democracy politicians.

Secret military trials of civilians have begun with no right of access to independent legal counsel. Four individuals have now been sentenced to death.

There is now no free media in the country and electronic communication is routinely monitored, blocked and throttled.

In a sectarian witch-hunt by the government, 1,000+ individuals have been sacked from their jobs for allegedly participating in the demonstrations. Students have been expelled from schools and universities and some studying overseas have had financial grants withdrawn and threats made against them for supporting the peaceful democracy movement.

By allowing the Bahrain authorities to go ahead with the Bahrain Grand Prix, the FIA would communicate to the international community that the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, Formula One Management, its sponsors and participants condone the human rights abuses being committed by the Al-Khalifa government on its own people.

Related resources:

Amnesty International - A Human Rights Crisis

Medecins Sans Frontieres

Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Ratification of International Human Rights Treaties - Bahrain