Bahrain protests & links to business - 2012
Latest: Bahrain: Family of activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja 'sad' at retrial, BBC, 30 Apr 2012
Amid increasing pro-democracy protests and concerns over the health of human rights advocate Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who is a member of Business & Human Rights Resource Centre's International Advisory Network, a range of organizations have taken steps to seek his release. Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience and has called for his immediate and unconditional release. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre called for his release on humanitarian grounds and because he is a prisoner of conscience. In addition, some human rights groups have called for the Bahrain Grand Prix (scheduled for 20-22 April) not to take place, given the human rights situation in Bahrain.
Abdulhadi al-Khawaja - concerns & calls for his release
Meeting Bahrain's hunger striker Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Frank Gardner, BBC, 2 May 2012
Bahrain activist al-Khawaja wins retrial, BBC, 30 Apr 2012
Ban urges Bahrain to resolve case of Danish-Bahraini hunger striker, UN News Centre, 25 Apr 2012
Bahrain is 'toying with life' of hunger-striker Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Amnesty Intl., 23 Apr 2012
"F1's dilemma over Bahrain Grand Prix", CNN, 9 Apr 2012
"Bahraini hunger striker's daughter speaks out", Al Jazeera, 9 Apr 2012
Numerous organizations have called for Abdulhadi al-Khawaja's release:
- “Bahrain: Release leading rights activist at risk of death from hunger strike”, Amnesty Intl., 30 Mar 2012 (see also: "Urgent Action: Bahrain: Activists' Sentences to Be Reviewed")
- "Bahrain: UN human rights experts urge immediate release of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja", Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 13 Apr 2012 - call by Special Rapporteurs on human rights defenders, on rights to freedom of assembly & association, on independence of judges & lawyers, and on torture
- Bahrain Center for Human Rights
- "Bahrain: Detained human rights defender Abdulhadi Al Khawaja’s life in jeopardy", Intl. Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), 6 Apr 2012
- "Joint Letter to President Obama Urging a Call for the Release of Bahraini Prisoner Abdulhadi al-Khawaja", Human Rights Watch, Amnesty Intl., Human Rights First, Project on Middle East Democracy, AFL-CIO/Solidarity Center, Freedom House, Physicians for Human Rights, Universal Muslim Association of America, Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain, Citizens for Global Solutions & other NGOs, 9 Apr 2012
- "Business & Human Rights Resource Centre calls on Government of Bahrain to release Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a member of the Centre’s International Advisory Network", Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 10 Apr 2012
- Danish Institute for Human Rights calls for immediate release of human rights defender, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Danish Institute for Human Rights, 18 Apr 2012
Other recent reports about Abdulhadi al-Khawaja include:
- "UN: Bahrain should consider transferring jailed activist", AP, in Gulf News, 10 Apr 2012
- “Abdulhadi al-Khawaja's death would be a stain on Bahrain”, [comment] Lord Avebury, various other Members of UK Parliament, NGOs & academics, in Guardian [UK], 9 Apr 2012
- “Hunger striker's daughter: Father having trouble breathing”, CNN, 8 Apr 2012
- “Bahrain rejects Danish request for prisoner transfer”, BBC News, 8 Apr 2012
Bahrain: Detained human rights defender Abdulhadi Al Khawaja’s life in jeopardy
Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre has invited Formula One Group, the Formula One teams, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and other companies involved to respond to a call for a boycott of the Bahrain Grand Prix. We will indicate on this page next week whether or not the companies respond.
"F1 teams urged to boycott Bahrain Grand Prix", Claire Ferris-Lay, ArabianBusiness.com, 8 Jan 2012
"'We will...campaign for….drivers and teams to boycott. The government wants Formula One to tell the outside world that everything is back to normal,' said Nabeel Rajab, vice president for Bahrain Center for Human Rights... 'Formula One, if they come, they are helping the government to say [it is normal]. We would prefer it if they didn’t take part. I am sure the drivers and teams respect human rights.' ...Mariwan Hama-Saeed of...Human Rights Watch said F1 should rethink the race in light of a report into the crackdown that found police guilty of using excessive force and torture.""F1 teams want FIA to postpone Bahrain Grand Prix", Paul Weaver & Ian Black, Guardian [UK], 9 Apr 2012
"The Formula One teams want the sport's governing body [Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)] to cancel – or at least postpone – the Bahrain Grand Prix...because of increasing safety concerns amid ongoing protests in the kingdom, according to a leading member of one of the teams. The team member...told the Guardian: '...If I'm brutally frank, the only way they can pull this race off without incident is to have a complete military lockdown there...' ""Bahrain Grand Prix: Bernie Ecclestone says F1 teams to have final say", Press Association [UK], 10 Apr 2012
"F1 teams expect Bahrain Grand Prix to be called off", BBC, 11 Apr 2012
- Formula One Group - owned by CVC Capital Partners (private equity firm), JPMorgan Chase, Bernie Ecclestone: