Activists criticize F1 boss for human rights comments
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[December 02, 2020]
By Alan Baldwin
LONDON (Reuters) - Formula One boss
Chase Carey drew criticism from rights campaigners on Tuesday after
he said the sport represented a 'force for good' in the countries it
visited.
Mercedes' seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton last week urged
Formula One to do more, saying human rights issues were a "massive
problem" in some of the countries the sport visited.
"I don't think we have a massive problem, I think actually sports
have a unique opportunity to be a force for good," Carey told CNN
Sport ahead of Sunday's penultimate race of the season in Bahrain.
"Sports in some ways have uniquely -- over time -- crossed borders,
crossed cultures and brought people from different places together,"
added the chief executive.
"I think the world's got a lot of places you can sort of boycott and
protest. I think the world could use a few more places where you try
and create good through encouragement and positive reinforcement."
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Bahrain's annual race has regularly drawn criticism
from rights campaigners at home and abroad, with the race cancelled in
2011 due to civil unrest.
This year the kingdom is hosting two rounds of a COVID-19 affected
calendar.
Sayed Alwadaei, director of the London-based Bahrain Institute for
Rights and Democracy (BIRD), said in a statement it was "totally
contemptible to hear F1’s CEO doing PR for the Bahraini regime.
"Instead of having a spat with Hamilton, Carey should take his advice
and tackle human rights issues and stop rewarding repressive regimes
with more races to further sportswash their bloodstained rights
records," he said.
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Formula One group
CEO Chase Carey during a press conference after it was announced the
Australian Grand Prix would be cancelled after a McLaren team member
tested positive for coronavirus REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
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Formula One is set to race in neighbouring Saudi Arabia for the
first time next year, a move criticised by Amnesty International.
Saudi organisers have said hosting a race will result in 'positive
change'.
"Saudi Arabia was criticised for being closed off to the world, and
now we've opened up, we're criticised for sports-washing," Sports
Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal told the BBC last
month when the race was announced.
Other hosts such as Azerbaijan and China have also been in the
spotlight for their rights records, while Hamilton has been
prominent in supporting Black Lives Matter protests in the United
States.
"I think we've been very clear about our commitment to human rights,
we're very clear about our cooperation and collaboration with our
partners, to improve and advance the human rights issues," said
Carey.
"I think we're proud of our commitment to human rights.
"We are very proud of our partnership here in Bahrain. We're proud
to partner with Bahrainis."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge and Toby
Davis)
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