Bahrain detains activist for posts on final day of F1 pre-season testing

According to the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (Bird), Bahraini authorities have arrested a human rights activist and former political prisoner for posting content on social media. This incident has once again raised concerns about the state of freedom of expression in Bahrain. This arrest highlights the ongoing challenges faced by human rights defenders in the country.

Ali al-Hajee was arrested on February 28, the final day of pre-season testing for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Prior to his arrest, al-Hajee received a series of phone calls informing him to go to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ministry of Interior for questioning. Subsequently, he also received a written police summons requesting his cooperation with the investigation. These events leading up to his arrest suggest a targeted effort by the authorities.

Bird stated that after being detained, al-Hajee was subjected to hours of interrogation regarding his posts on the X platform, which exposed abuses against political prisoners in Bahrain and advocated for human rights. At the request of his family, his X account has been suspended. On March 1, the day after his arrest, the Bahraini Public Prosecution ordered his detention pending further investigation on charges of "misusing social media." Al-Hajee's lawyer was not present at the time, and he is currently being held in Dry Dock Prison. The lack of legal representation during his interrogation raises serious due process concerns.

Al-Hajee had pre-recorded a video message, which has been shared with Middle East Eye, to be played in the event of his arrest. In the video, he stated, "The continued restrictions on human rights defenders will not stop us from demanding justice and the rights of victims." Al-Hajee has already spent more than 10 years in Bahraini prisons between 2013 and 2023 and faces the possibility of imprisonment again under the country's strict freedom of speech laws. His past experiences underscore the risks faced by activists in Bahrain.

Al-Hajee is an avid F1 racing fan and is widely known for writing letters to British F1 driver Lewis Hamilton multiple times while serving time in Jaw prison. Sayed Alwadaei, Advocacy Director at Bird, told Middle East Eye that al-Hajee has been "very outspoken" since his release in June 2023. He believes that al-Hajee's current detention is a direct result of his activism, and that the authorities chose to target him during the F1 testing period to deter any exposure of human rights violations, intending to make an example of him. This timing suggests a deliberate attempt to silence dissent during a high-profile international event.

Al-Hajee's wife, Zainab al-Khamees, stated, "Ali is being detained solely for his human rights advocacy, and the Ministry of Interior and the Public Prosecution interrogated him without a lawyer present, which is a blatant violation of Bahraini law." She also added, "I am heartbroken to learn that he is being held in the harsh conditions of Dry Dock Prison with only a dirty blanket." Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, has also called for al-Hajee's release. The international community is increasingly concerned about the treatment of human rights defenders in Bahrain.

A Formula 1 spokesperson told Middle East Eye: “For decades, Formula 1 has worked hard to be a positive force everywhere it races, including economic, social and cultural benefits. We take our responsibilities on rights very seriously and set high ethical standards for counterparties and those in our supply chain, which are enshrined in contracts, and we pay close attention to their adherence.” F1's statement highlights the tension between its commitment to human rights and its presence in countries with questionable records.

After his release in 2023, al-Hajee led a campaign to release another activist, Mohammed al-Singace. Al-Singace was eventually granted a royal pardon last April, along with many other political prisoners. Al-Singace rose to prominence during the Arab Spring in Bahrain in 2011, appearing in an Al Jazeera documentary with his white shirt stained with blood. Al-Hajee was also part of the anti-government uprising, which protested economic austerity measures, political oppression, discrimination against Bahrain's Shia community, and the rule of the Khalifa family. These past events provide context for the ongoing crackdown on dissent in Bahrain.

Since then, Bahraini authorities have continued to severely restrict what they perceive as any dissent, often carrying out mass arrests around the time F1 holds its Grand Prix in the country. In 2023, four Bahraini activists were arrested, threatened, verbally abused, and forced to sign a confession agreement restricting their future rights to protest after holding a protest near the Bahrain International Circuit during the F1 race. During last year's F1 testing in Bahrain, the son of one of the activists was arbitrarily detained after a house raid. These incidents illustrate a pattern of repression targeting activists and their families.

Bahrain was the first country in the Middle East to host a Grand Prix. In 2021, the long-time head of the sport, Bernie Ecclestone, told Middle East Eye how he struck the deal to bring the race to the country in 2004. The idea came from Cambridge University graduate Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who became Crown Prince of Bahrain in 1999. Salman contacted Ecclestone, who considered the young royal a "very nice person" and a "very good leader." Ecclestone said: "He was fully supportive of it because he realised it would be the best thing that could possibly happen to the country. It was just pointing out what was the best situation for everybody." This historical context sheds light on the close relationship between F1 and the Bahraini royal family.