By Martin Banks - 6th June 2011
Protestors were killed, tortured and imprisoned
Guy Verhofstadt
A senior MEP has backed calls for a boycott of the re-instated Bahrain Formula One race in October.
The Bahrain Grand Prix will return to the Formula One calendar on 30 October.
The race, originally due to be held on 13 March, was called off in February because of pro-democracy protests in which more than 20 people have died.
The sport's governing body, the FIA, said last week that the unanimous decision, made at a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council, "reflects the spirit of reconciliation in Bahrain".
A state of emergency in the Gulf kingdom was lifted last Wednesday, but there have been reports of further violence in the capital Manama.
ALDE group leader Guy Verhofstadt reacted angrily to the news, saying, "Allowing the Bahrain grand prix to go ahead despite the regime's brutal crackdown of peaceful protests earlier this year sends out the wrong message to all those people willing to stand up and risk their lives for democracy and human rights in the Arab spring.
Adding his support to Australian driver Mark Webber's call to boycott the re-instated Formula One race in October this year, Verhofstadt continued:
"We cannot return to business as usual in Bahrain and lend support to a government that has gone so far as to invite neighbouring troops onto its territory in order to crush peaceful demonstrations.
"Protestors were killed, tortured and imprisoned. These incidents need to be properly investigated and brought to justice - not swept under the carpet.
"Until this has happened, I fully agree that the Formula One Grand Prix should not return to Bahrain and call on all teams to boycott the race if necessary."
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