After F1 Setback, Bahrain’s Crackdown Still on High Gear

June 1st marked the end of over two months of a state of emergency in Bahrain. Despite the push from the Bahraini government to convince the world that things are back to normal, the situation on the ground has not improved. The motivations behind lifting the oxymoronic “state of national safety” may have been more of economic interest than a real assessment of the country’s stability. Listen to this week’s podcast and learn more about Bahraini human rights defenders cope with the continuing crackdown post-June 1st. Formula 1’s decision to restore and then immediately cancel the Bahrain Grand Prix this year is yet another PR setback for the government, as they failed to convince the international community that the country is safe enough for such an event. What is very clear is that the crackdown continues to be rampant in Bahrain, suppressing the pro-democracy movement using fear and violence.