Nabeel Rajab - Defending Freedoms Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, the international sports spotlight will focus on the Bahrain Grand Prix. But will that spotlight shine into Bahrain's prisons as well?

Nabeel Rajab, a Bahraini human rights activist sentenced to 2 years in jail simply for engaging in nonviolent political protest, is one prisoner who deserves public attention. Nabeel is a focus of the Defending Freedoms Project, a collaborative initiative spearheaded by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission that invites Members of Congress to stand up for individual prisoners of conscience around the world. Today, I invite my colleagues to take part in this important, nonpartisan opportunity.

Nabeel is not alone. The Bahraini Government has also imprisoned 13 prominent activists, and Amnesty International reports that it may soon jail anyone found guilty of insulting the King.

It is time for the leadership of Formula One Racing to end their silence on Bahrain's crackdown. It is time for them to take a stand in favor of human rights, and it is time for each of us to speak out for the nonviolent human rights defenders like Nabeel Rajab.

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