Reinstatement of 2011 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix criticised by Human Rights activists
The reinstatement of the 2011 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix has drawn strong criticism from the Human Rights activists present in the country.
According to the activists, the Formula 1 teams should not visit the country this year since the condition of the country is still very unpredictable and unstable.
They claim that this decision “damages the push for human rights in the country” as it portrays the image that the country is not going through any problems which is not true.
“Giving this prestigious event to the Bahrain authorities while there are reports of peaceful protesters being shot in the streets is a formula for disaster,” said Brian Dooley of a US-based organisation, Human Rights First.
Other than that, Dooley stated that hundreds of people are still in detention despite the fact that the country was ruled by the military for months.
“Show trials and attacks on human rights activists continue. Pro-democracy activists are being left in the dust. The Bahraini authorities should not have been awarded this event when they can’t even protect the basic human rights of their people,” he said.
Bahrain GP was initially planned as the season opening race of the 2011 Formula 1 season but had to be postponed since the country was going through a major political turmoil. The organisers of the sport later on announced that they would not mind rescheduling
the race if the organisers of the venue are willing to hold the race later on in the season.
Formula 1 Management chief Bernie Ecclestone has been one of the few supporters for the Bahrain Grand Prix while people like the former boss of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) Max Mosley, Mercedes GP boss Ross Brawn and many others believe
that holding the race is unacceptable.
Brawn believes that this is going to increase the length of the season vitally as a result of which all of the workers of the teams will barely get time for holidays, since they work round the year.
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