HRW calls for end to Saudi Arabia's attempts to 'sportswash' rights abuses

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the top level of the English football league system, the Premier League, to stop attempts by the Saudi regime to sportswash its horrible human rights record through the takeover of professional football club Newcastle United.

The New York-based body, together with human rights organization FairSquare Projects, asked the league on Tuesday to adopt a human rights policy, arguing that the absence of any such strategy has been exposed during a bid by a consortium largely financed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia to acquire the leading club.

With the fund chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the bid has been condemned by pro-democracy campaigners and human rights activists, who describe it as a “sportswashing” operation to shrug off the kingdom’s abysmal record of repression and to rehabilitate its global image.

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“What to do about #Saudi sportswashing/Newcastle football takeover? @HRW and @fairsquare_ call for Premier League+Football Association to adopt comprehensive #HumanRights policies+”include human rights as a criterion for evaluating potential buyers,” Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch, Minky Worden, wrote in a post published on her Twitter page on Tuesday.

Separately, Deputy European Media Director for HRW, Jan Kooy, wrote, “The @premierleague should respect human rights throughout all of its operations, including as it evaluates a bid by #SaudiArabia’s sovereign wealth fund to acquire #NUFC (Newcastle United FC).”

Premier League rules prohibit anyone from becoming an owner or director of a professional English football club if they have been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty; if they have a conviction for football hooliganism; for ticket touting, or scalping; or for “dishonestly receiving a [television] program broadcast from within the UK with intent to avoid payment.”

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However, the rules do not prevent serious criminals or human rights abusers from becoming owners or directors of English football clubs.

According to UK media reports, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia will own an 80 percent stake in Newcastle United if the takeover deal of around $368 million goes ahead.

Yasir al-Rumayyan, an ally of MBS and chairman of Saudi oil giant Aramco, is said to have been lined up to be the club’s chairman.

Felix Jakens, Amnesty International’s UK head of campaigns, has denounced the takeover as a blatant act of “sportswashing”.

“We need to see it for what it is: Saudi Arabia attempting to use the glamour and prestige of Premier League football as a PR tool to distract from the country’s abysmal human rights record,” he said.

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“Under the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Saudi human rights defenders have been subjected to a brutal crackdown, with numerous peaceful activists jailed - including Loujain al-Hathloul and other brave women’s rights campaigners.

“There’s been a blatant whitewash over Jamal Khashoggi’s grisly murder, and the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen has a disgraceful record of launching indiscriminate attacks on homes and hospitals.

“All businesses need to safeguard against any possible complicity in human rights violations, and football is no different.

“Whether or not this deal goes ahead, we’d call on Newcastle United staff and fans to familiarize themselves with the dire human rights situation in Saudi Arabia and be prepared to speak out about it,” Jakens pointed out.

Last month, British lawmaker Angus MacNeil wrote to Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss, calling for Saudi takeover of Newcastle United to be blocked.

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