Human Lives Human Rights: As Formula One prepares to race there for the first time in Saudi this weekend, human rights groups have urged Formula One (F1) to stop its complicit in sportswashing for the Kingdom.
Human Rights Watch and the Reprieve group both wrote separately to F1 on Wednesday, outlining their concerns.
The Codepink group has also sent a letter to world champion Lewis Hamilton, signed by 41 organizations, requesting him speak to Saudi leaders to highlight human rights issues.
Rights groups have called on F1 to intervene on behalf of women who helped achieve the change, although women were recently allowed to drive in the extremist kingdom, where as prominent activists were released last year after nearly three years in prison for peacefully protesting for their right to drive.
Women in Saudi remain under suspended sentences, banned from travel and prohibited from pursuing their human rights work or speaking out about their detention.
Since Mohammed bin-Salman was appointed Crown Prince, world witnessed a brutal crackdown on peaceful dissidents and despite these so called social reforms, prison authorities continue to torture detainees.
Formula One is in a unique position to either enable or endorse this human rights image-washing or it can press the Saudi Arabian government on its human rights record.
