As F1 returns to Bahrain, an ex-prisoner awaits compensation

By JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Auto Racing Writer

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Formula One begins the new season on Sunday in Bahrain at a huge track where a huge contract extension was recently signed. But former political prisoner Najah Yusuf still waits for compensation after allegedly being tortured and abused in a Bahrain jail over a social media post criticizing the annual race. Bahrain has been accused of exploiting the series to “sportswash,” its human rights record, by using a high-profile event to project a favorable image. The new contract with F1 is until 2036. In an interview with The Associated Press Yusuf says “they signed a contract worth millions with the Bahraini government without taking into consideration what I and others went through.”