Amnesty International voices Bahrain concern

Amnesty International, an organisation dedicated to human rights, has responded to news that the Formula 1 race will go ahead in Bahrain next week.

In a summary of a detailed report into the country to be published on Tuesday, the organisation claims the government is using the race to portray a false image – that everything is getting back to normal.

However the report claims that things are getting worse, rather than better, but the government is doing all it can to cover up the abuse.

“In recent months, the Bahraini authorities have become more concerned with re-building their image and investing in public relations than with actually introducing real human rights and political reforms in their country,” read the preview.

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“Indeed, for the authorities, much is at stake. They are keen to portray Bahrain as a stable and secure country in order to stave off international criticism.

“But as the country prepares to host the Formula 1 Grand Prix on 20-22 April, after the event was cancelled last year in response to the instability in the country, daily anti-government protests continue to be violently suppressed by the riot police that uses tear gas recklessly and with fatal results. Acts of violence by some protesters against the police have also considerably increased in the last three months,” it continued.

“Holding the Grand Prix in Bahrain in 2012 risks being interpreted by the government of Bahrain as symbolizing a return to business as usual. The international community must not turn a blind eye to the ongoing human rights crisis in the country. The government must understand that its half-hearted measures are not sufficient – sustained progress on real human rights reform remains essential.”