British Darts Players Urged to Speak Out for Human Rights in Bahrain

British darts players, including Luke Littler and Luke Humphries, are being called upon to use their platform and influence to speak out in support of prisoners of conscience in Bahrain. In an open letter, Reprieve and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy highlight the repressive human rights situation in Bahrain and urge the players to not be a part of sportswashing human rights abuses.

The Bahrain Darts Masters is being held on 18-19 January 2024, and the organizations are concerned about the use of international sporting events by repressive states to launder their reputation. The term ‘sportswashing’ refers to authoritarian governments using sports to improve their image. As professional players with a significant global following, the darts players have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of those suffering under Bahrain’s regime.

Bahrain has an abysmal human rights record, with limited civil liberties and restrictions on civil society, free press, and political opposition. The country continues to employ the death penalty, with 26 individuals currently on death row. Many prominent human rights and opposition activists arrested during the pro-democracy uprising in 2011 remain imprisoned and have experienced further human rights violations while incarcerated.

The open letter highlights specific cases of concern, including that of Hassan Mushaima, Bahrain’s oldest political prisoner, who has been serving a life sentence for exercising his right to freedom of association and expression. Dr. Abduljalil Al-Singace, an award-winning human rights defender, has been on hunger strike to protest the confiscation of his research for over two years. Mohammed Ramadhan and Hussain Moosa are approaching a decade of unlawful imprisonment after an unfair trial marred by torture allegations.

Reprieve and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy call on the darts players to stand up for human rights in Bahrain by publicly expressing their support and raising awareness about the ongoing violations. The organizations highlight the impact athletes like Lewis Hamilton have had by speaking out against human rights violations in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, making it more difficult for governments to use sporting events to distract from their human rights abuses.