Tuesday, 4 March 2025: Bahraini authorities arrested human rights activist and former political prisoner Ali al-Hajee on the final day of F1 testing in Bahrain—Friday, 28 February 2025, according to the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD).
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- On Friday, 28 February, which marked the last day of F1 testing in Bahrain, Ali al-Hajee was interrogated for several hours about his social media posts on X exposing abuses against political prisoners and advocating for human rights in Bahrain.
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- The next day (Saturday, 1 March 2025), Bahrain’s Public Prosecution ordered his detention pending an investigation into charges of “misusing social media” without his lawyer’s presence.
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- Ali al-Hajee spent over 10 years (from 2013 to 2023) in Bahrain’s prisons and faces imprisonment again under Bahrain’s stringent laws restricting freedom of expression. He is a massive F1 fan who diligently followed the races even while imprisoned. He sent several letters to Sir Lewis Hamilton from inside Jau Prison, which were covered by the Guardian (2022), the Associated Press (2020), and the Mirror (2022).
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Mary Lawlor called for his immediate release in a social media post on X yesterday, stating:
“I am v disturbed by reports that HRD Ali Al-Hajee (@ELHAJEE) was detained in #Bahrain on Friday & questioned re his human rights work. He should be immediately released & the authorities should show they are serious about creating an enabling environment for HRDs @bahdiplomatic.”
Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), commented:
“Ali al-Hajee is a courageous human rights advocate whose commitment remains unshaken despite ten years of imprisonment.
Bahraini authorities are targeting him for his activism during F1 testing to prevent any exposure of human rights abuses. Ali is being made an example of Bahrain’s message is clear: anyone who dares to expose human rights violations will face severe punishment.
We call on Bahrain’s partners to elevate his case with a special appeal to F1 to take action.”
Zainab AlKhmees, Ali al-Hajee’s wife, commented:
“Taking my husband away at the start of Ramadan—a holy month of blessings, not separation—inflicts unbearable pain on our family. It breaks my heart to have learned that he is held under harsh conditions at Dry Dock Prison and was given only a soiled blanket.
Ali is detained simply for his human rights advocacy and interrogated by the Interior Ministry and the Public Prosecution without the presence of his lawyer—in blatant violation of Bahraini Law.
I call on the authorities to release him immediately. Genuine human rights work should be celebrated by the Bahraini government, not punished with imprisonment.”
F1 in Bahrain and Sportwashing
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- Ali al-Hajee’s arrest is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of crackdown by Bahraini authorities around F1 races in the country. In 2023, four Bahraini activists (2023) were arrested, threatened, verbally abused and forced to sign a plea restricting their right to protest in the future after they held a protest near the Bahrain international circuit during the F1 race.
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- During last year’s F1 testing in Bahrain, the son of one of these activists was arbitrarily detained following a house raid. MPs raised his case and F1’s role in laundering Bahrain’s image in a debate held in the House of Lords on 21 March 2024.
The Middle East Eye reported on Ali al-Hajee’s detention on 4 March 2025. In response to his arrest, Formula 1 stated:
“For decades Formula 1 has worked hard be a positive force everywhere it races, including economic, social, and cultural benefits. Sports like Formula 1 are uniquely positioned to cross boarders and cultures to bring countries together to share the passion and excitement of incredible competition and achievement.”
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.”
Further information and background:-
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- Early on Friday, 28 February, Ali Al-Hajee received a written police summons issued by the Interior Ministry’s General Directorate of Crime Detection and Forensic Science, which was followed by a phone call from an official at the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID), who instructed Ali to report to the gate of the CID in Adliya immediately and on his own.
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- Ali was subjected to prolonged interrogations without the presence of his lawyer and reportedly questioned about social media posts that exposed rights abuses against political prisoners and advocated for freedoms in Bahrain.
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- On Saturday, 1 March 2025, the Office of the Public Prosecution ordered Mr al-Hajee to 7 days in detention pending investigation on accusations of “misusing social media.” He faces imprisonment again if charged, likely under Bahrain’s Penal Code art. 168 that allows authorities to punish “any person who deliberately disseminates false reports, statements or malicious rumours, or produces any publicity seeking to damage public security.”
