Four Individuals were arrested for peacefully protesting and demanding the release of political prisoners near the Formula 1 Grand Prix Circuit in Bahrain. Two women were arrested including the former political prisoners Hajer Mansoor and Najah Yusuf. The two men were Ali Muhana and Muneer Mushaima. Ali is the father of a current political prisoner, Husain Muhana, and Muneer, is the brother of executed prisoner, Sami Mushaima (killed in 2017) whose second brother, Redha Mushaima, is also in jail in Bahrain.
Video footage shows the protestors being surrounded by police cars, one protester reported that there were 7 police vehicles, before the arrests took place at 18:24 local time. They confiscated the personal IDs of the protestors then placed them in the police car and transferred them to Eastern Riffa police station.
Prior to the arrests, Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei who was on a call with the protestors, posted a short video on Twitter.In the video Muneer is heard chanting “we demand the release of prisoners” whilst Najah Yusuf is heard shouting “we demand our simplest rights, its shame that Formula one stage race in Bahrain and make millions in profit at the cost of our suffering”.
Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, director at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) commented: “Bahraini authorities arrested 4 peaceful protestors, including my mother in law, for protesting near the Formula One race. The arrest comes after we received assurances from Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali that protesting the race will not result in reprisals.
It is Formula One’s responsibility to ensure that the four are released immediately and do not suffer consequences for exercising their right to freedom of assembly.”
The protestors each held signs which included the following;
Najah Yusuf;
‘For protesting F1 in 2017, I was beaten, tortured & served 2 years imprisonment.
I am still dismissed from my job
Meanwhile F1 makes Millions of $ from our suffering.
Shame on them.’
Hajar Mansor;
‘My son Sayed Nizar (25) completed 6 years of his arbitrary sentence this week.
He was arrested when he was 18 and subjected to harrowing torture.
The UN called for his release.
@F1 shame on you for refusing to meet torture victims.’
Muneer Mushaima;
‘Bahraini government executed my brother Sami in 2017.
My brother Redha is serving life sentence.
Formula One race on our suffering.
#BahrainGP’
Ali Muhana;
‘208 days and my son is placed in isolation at Jau Prison.
Why?
For how long?
How is this legal?
Free political prisoners in #Bahrain’
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