Rights Groups Letter to F1 CEO Ahead of Bahrain Grand Prix: 20 Years of Sportswashing

In a joint letter, 31 human rights organizations called on Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to investigate Bahrain’s human rights record and ensure that the global event does not turn into a means of whitewashing sports. The text of the message stated:   Dear Stefano Domenicali, We, the undersigned organisations, are writing to renew our[…]

2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia: Agreeing to repeat human rights violations

On the 31st of October, FIFA announced that Saudi Arabia had become the sole bidder of the 2034 World Cup. The decision certainly does not come as a surprise. FIFA has regularly been criticized for bribery scandals and its nonchalance in sponsoring World Cups in states with poor human rights standards (Russia, China, Qatar). Nonetheless,[…]

Several Paris-based NGOs call upon the Mairie de Paris to cease all form of support for Bahrain “sport-washing” campaign

Since 2011, the Bahraini government violently represses any form of opposition and violates the human rights of its population. A number of political opponents have been sentenced to death by the authorities because of their involvement in the pro-democracy movement. Yet since July 2020, the Kingdom of Bahrain also owns 20% of the shares of[…]