“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke
It is now over two years since the takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi PIF, and North East Bylines has been regularly reviewing what life is like in that Middle Eastern kingdom and what has happened there since that takeover in October 2021. There are some who would claim that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a place where human rights are not respected and that the regime is a murderous regime, which starts illegal wars and is responsible for many human rights abuses. Is all that true? Let’s see what has been happening and look at the evidence. How has Saudi Arabia been reported in recent weeks?
Parts I-6 of this survey have covered the period from 7th October 2021 to the end of December last year. So, what has been happening in Saudi Arabia in the first two months of 2024?
Last Day of 2023
Our first story goes back to the last day of 2023. It was reported on the Middle East Eye website on 2nd January that Saudi Arabia had executed four people on New Year’s Eve according to reporting from the Saudi Press Agency. It was further noted that these executions had taken the total number of executions carried out in the kingdom in 2023 to more than 170. It was further reported that according to the state-run SPA, the four people executed on 31st December had been convicted of murder, citing statements from the interior ministry. It was also stated that, “they included two in the north-western city of Tabuk, one in the capital Riyadh and one in Jazan in the south-west.” It was also noted that December had been recorded as the deadliest month for executions in Saudi Arabia, with a total of 38 carried out in the month and those executed over the course of 2023 had included 33 people accused of terrorism-related crimes and two soldiers convicted of treason.
Executions
On the same day, 2nd January Voice of Africa noted that Saudi Arabia had executed 170 people in 2023, including four on New Year’s Eve, which was an increase on the previous year, according to an AFP tally based on announcements by Saudi authorities. It was further noted that this compared to a total of 147 convicts executed in 2022 in Saudi Arabia, routinely criticised by human rights activists who condemn its prolific use of capital punishment, while a record of 187 executions had taken place in the kingdom in 2019.
It was noted in The Telegraph https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/tony-blair-s-think-tank-paid-to-advise-countries-with-poor-human-rights/ar-AA1mkbtF in the first week of January that Sir Tony Blair’s think tank was being paid to advise countries with poor human rights records while it expanded its global influence. It was further noted that the former prime minister’s Institute for Global Change had forged an arrangement with the authoritarian government of Bahrain, for which it is reimbursed, despite the Gulf state’s history of political oppression. It was also said that they had also offered paid advice to the UAE and continues to work with the Saudi government in the wake of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
It was commented upon that in Bahrain, it had started supporting a “modernisation programme”, like its work in Saudi Arabia, where it was said to be, “helping to craft Vision 2030, a scheme devised to boost tourism and shift the economy away from its longstanding reliance on oil.”
Saudi Arabia football transfer
On 10th January, The Independent ran a story about the fact that ex-Liverpool captain and native of the Northeast, Jordan Henderson was looking to leave his club in Saudi Arabia. Among other observations, it was noted that Henderson’s team, Al-Ettifaq’s average attendance is 7,854 and that the recent defeat to Al-Riyadh had been witnessed by a crowd of just 696. It was also noted that Henderson, who had become one of the most admired people in football with his campaigning efforts off the pitch had, “suffered self-inflicted reputational damage by moving to a repressive country, serving in an ambassadorial role for it, not least with his social media posts, and yet claiming his values remain intact.”
The article continued by saying that, “in a country with a dreadful human rights record and a fondness for jailing people, Henderson and his ilk could find themselves prisoners of their contracts, stuck in the gilded cage of the Saudi Pro League. The LGBTQ+ community now has fewer reasons to launch a campaign to free Jordan Henderson.”
It was also pointed out that the signing of Henderson had supposed to be a coup, a sign of Saudi Arabia’s pulling power, but the truth was that a few months on, “with his standing diminished and Henderson looking for an exit strategy, it is still clearer the persuasiveness lay only in the pay packet. Now for Henderson and Al-Ettifaq alike, the question is whether it was all worth it.”
On 11th January The Independent reported https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/barcelona-warn-lgbtq-fans-they-could-face-severe-penalties-in-saudi-arabia/ar-AA1mNtU4 that Barcelona had warned their LGBTQ+ fans that they could face “severe punishment” in Saudi Arabia should they engage in any acts of a sexual nature in the Gulf country this week. Barcelona was reported to be in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, for the Spanish Super Cup, and it was noted that thousands of fans had travelled for the three-match tournament.
Human Rights
Also on 11th January, The Guardian reported that the Human Rights Watch World Report for 2024 had warned that human rights were “in decline globally as leaders fail to uphold laws, report warns”. Among numerous comments ,it was noted that US allies, including Saudi Arabia, India, and Egypt, continue to violate the human rights of their own people with impunity.
The report itself had the following to say about human rights in Saudi Arabia over the previous year: “killings by Saudi Arabian forces of at least hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers at the Yemen-Saudi border may amount to crimes against humanity. Saudi Arabian authorities conducted arrests of peaceful dissidents, public intellectuals, and human rights activists and sentenced people to decades-long prison terms or death sentences for social media posts. Abusive practices in detention centres, including torture and ill-treatment, prolonged arbitrary detention, and asset confiscation without any clear legal process, remain pervasive. There has been no accountability for Saudi Arabia’s role in apparent war crimes in Yemen.”
On 12th January, Amnesty International noted ten ways that Saudi Arabia is violating its citizens’ human rights:
- 1. Executions are on the increase
- 2. Women are widely discriminated against
- 3. Many are tortured while detained
- 4. Migrant workers treated poorly
- 5. Crackdown on free media & press
- 6. No free speech
- 7. Unfair trials
- 8. Travel bans
- 9. Forced evictions
- 10. No protests allowed
Saudi Arabia ambassador
On 16th January The Mirror reported that Rafael Nadal had ignored fierce criticism from John McEnroe to sign a multi-million-pound deal to become a Saudi tennis ambassador. Nadal, 38, was said to have claimed that he wanted to “help the sport grow far and wide across the world” following the controversial move. It was also noted that the Saudis, who have invested significantly in football, golf, and boxing during the last few years, want to play a key role in the future of tennis.” It was further reported that the Next Gen ATP Finals had been moved from Milan to Jeddah in 2023 and that the Saudis are now hoping to host the Billie Jean King Cup and the WTA Finals, despite the country’s poor human rights record towards women. It was also noted that McEnroe had called the idea “laughable”.
On the same day City AM reported that a number of Heathrow’s shareholders had commented that they planned on selling their stakes in Heathrow Airport, in a move that could put the Spanish group Ferrovial’s £2.4bn deal to sell off its holding in doubt. It was further reported that in November, “Ferrovial signed a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Saudi-backed asset management firm Ardian to offload 25 per cent of its stake in the airport.” It was also noted that with other shareholders also talking about selling their shares, the news had “sparked concerns among some MPs and human rights campaigners that the oil-rich nation could take majority control of the UK’s biggest airport.”
Newcastle United Chairman
On 17th January it was noted in The Guardian that it had been reported that Newcastle United’s chairman, Yasir al-Rumayyan, is facing a £58m lawsuit. It was alleged that he had “carried out the instructions” of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammad bin Salman with “malicious intent”. It was also noted that it had been said that the claims had been made in legal papers sent to Rumayyan at several locations, including at St James’ Park. It was also reported that it is also alleged that he acted with the aim of “harming, silencing and ultimately destroying” the family of Dr Saad Aljabri, the kingdom’s former intelligence chief”. It was also said that according to The Athletic, the papers have asked a court for Rumayyan, who is also the chairman of LIV Golf, to be added to an existing case, and for a new claim to be brought against him and the others. The Guardian piece also said the claimants also allege Rumayyan was “directly involved” in a three-and-a-half-year campaign between June 2017 and January 2021 to pursue the family of Aljabri, who is a former top aide to Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.”
On 20th January it was commented upon by Ewan Murray in The Guardian that, “Yasir al-Rumayyan is the chairman of Newcastle United. He is the man who has almost single-handedly revolutionised elite golf by deciding Saudi’s PIF could take on the establishment. Rumayyan also reportedly faces a £58m lawsuit in Canada for “having carried out the instructions” of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, with “malicious intent”. The money is irrelevant; the potential reputational cost to umpteen sports should this case rumble on is not.” Murray finished his piece by pointing out that once sportswashing had been a live thing, but that the latest news about Rumayyan meant that, “it may have been seriously unwise to look the other way. Sport may just be in too deep.”
Committed to high standards and alleged sportswashing
Meanwhile, on 22nd January it was claimed on Al Khaleej Today that Saudi Arabia was committing to achieving the highest global standards in terms of human rights. Al Khaleej is a publishing house based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Similarly in The Saudi Gazette , it was claimed that there was International praise for Saudi Arabia’s human rights progress at United Nations Human Rights Council. The Saudi Gazette is naturally enough based in Saudi Arabia.
By way of contrast, it was claimed on 5th February by the Inter Press Service News Agency, that Saudi Arabia was being accused of ‘Sportswashing’ its Human Rights Record. It was reported that Argentina forward Lautaro Martinez had scored as Inter Milan beat Napoli in the Saudi capital Riyadh to win the Italian Super Cup for the third consecutive time, while “soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo (was) on target again for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.”
It was noted that England’s Tyrrell Hatton had become the latest golf star to sign up for the rebel Saudi-backed LIV circuit, while the World Snooker Tour announced a first TV event in Saudi Arabia in March, featuring “seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan and current world title-holder Luca Brecel with a rule change that will make it possible for players to notch a maximum score of 167, instead of the traditional 147.”
Human Rights Watch was quoted as saying that, “the policy was primarily designed to “sportswash” Saudi Arabia’s reputation, hosting major sporting events that attract widespread, positive media attention to divert it away from the hosts’ abuse. If you have seen a news headline about Saudi Arabia recently, there is a good chance that the story is related to sport.”
It was also noted that the Saudi government had invested billions of its oil revenues in recent years in sports, including tennis, golf, boxing and, above all, football. It was commented upon that taken at face value, all this was a way for the kingdom to splash its vast wealth on laying on lavish entertainment and boost its GDP in the process.
However, it was also noted that critics saw something more sinister at play. It was said that the “Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the policy is primarily designed to “sportswash” Saudi Arabia’s reputation, hosting major sporting events that attract widespread, positive media attention to divert it away from the hosts’ abuses”.
Tennis
On 24th January, The Washington Post reported Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova as saying, with regards to the WTA staging their finals in Saudi Arabia that, “we did not help build women’s tennis for it to be exploited by Saudi Arabia”. The opinion piece by the two former tennis greats also quoted them as saying that they, “fully appreciate the importance of respecting diverse cultures and religions. It is because of this, and not despite it, that we oppose the awarding of the tour’s Crown Jewel tournament to Riyadh. The WTA’s values sit in stark contrast to those of the proposed host. Not only is this a country where women are not seen as equal, it is a country where the current landscape includes a male guardianship law that essentially makes women the property of men. A country which criminalises the LGBTQ+ community to the point of possible death sentences. A country whose long-term record on human rights and basic freedoms has been a matter of international concern for decades.”
On 10th February The Guardian had an interview with the widow of Jamal Khashoggi https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/10/he-couldnt-see-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-jamal-khashoggi-widow-on-their-life-and-his-death in which she talked about their life together in Washington when Khashoggi was a journalist with the Washington Post. The article ended by noting that, “a few years after Khashoggi was murdered, the council in Washington DC voted to rename a portion of New Hampshire Avenue, a short stretch of road near the Watergate complex, a stone’s throw from the Potomac and about ten miles from Elatr’s home. Jamal Khashoggi Way also happens to be directly outside the Saudi embassy.”
Toni Kroos a vocal critic
It was reported in The Mirror on 13th February the Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos had been a vocal critic of Saudi Arabia for its dreadful human rights record“ even as his fellow players make big money moves to the Middle East state”.
The story went on to note that Kroos had doubled down on his criticism of Saudi Arabia due to the state’s terrible human rights record.
It was stated that, “the midfielder blasted the country last year as the Saudi Pro Leagues summer spending spree kicked into gear. The German star was then booed when he played in Saudi for the Spanish Supercopa, which Madrid won.
Kroos was noted as saying that, “”For me, it was a confirmation that I said everything right in the interviews,” Kroos said of the boos.”
Amnesty International
On 21st February, it was reported on AFP that Amnesty International were claiming that a Saudi women’s rights activist, detained over social media posts, had been out of contact with the outside world since November. It was further noted that Amnesty International had gone on to accuse Saudi authorities of “enforced disappearance”.
Manahel al-Otaibi was arrested in November 2022 for social media posts challenging the country’s male guardianship laws and requirements for women to wear the customary body-shrouding abaya.
It was also noted that the 29-year-old had not yet been convicted or sentenced but public prosecutors accused her of leading a “campaign to incite Saudi girls to denounce religious principles and rebel against the customs and traditions of Saudi society”, according to court documents seen by AFP.
Amnesty International were reported as saying in a report that since November 2023, “prison and other officials have cut off all of her contact with her family and the outside world”. Amnesty International were further reported as saying that Saudi authorities had “refused to provide her family with information about her whereabouts and wellbeing despite their repeated enquiries”. Amnesty International’s campaigner for Saudi Arabia, Bissan Fakih, was reported as saying that Otaibi “should never have been arrested in the first place, let alone subjected to enforced disappearance”.
Reaching beyond borders and transnational repression
On 22nd February it was noted on Al-Jazeera that according to a report from Human Rights Watch, countries were ‘reaching beyond borders’ to silence dissidents, which said that “‘transnational repression’ is being used to target journalists, political opponents and activists.” It was further noted that Human Rights Watch had said that Governments around the world were “reaching beyond their borders” to attack their citizens abroad and silence dissent, in a new report from Human Rights Watch.
It was noted that in a report released on 22nd February that Human Rights Watch (HRW) had identified a growing trend of “transnational repression”, in which countries target journalists, political opponents, human rights defenders, civil society activists and others across borders, causing a “chilling effect” on freedom of expression and association. It was further noted that, “the 46-page report, entitled We Will Find You: A Global Look at How Governments Repress Nationals Abroad, details 75 cases of governments in more than two dozen countries – including Russia, Iran, China, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey – carrying out “human rights abuses … to silence or deter dissent” over the past 15 years.”
Another execution
On 27th February, Middle East Eye reported that seven Saudi men had been executed on Tuesday 27th February, which it was noted was the highest number put to death in one day since 81 were killed in March 2022. It was further reported that the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) had convicted the men on terrorism charges, accusing them of betraying “their homeland, threatening its stability and endangering its security”, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), citing the Interior Ministry.
Middle East Eye also noted that, “the men’s names were listed in the SPA announcement, which is often the only information released about executions in the kingdom, but with little further detail. Riyadh has now executed 31 people this year, after putting at least 172 people to death in 2023, rights groups monitoring executions in Saudi Arabia have said.”
Another report from Human Rights Watch
Finally, another report from Human Rights Watch, released on 29th February, noted that representatives of two construction companies in Saudi Arabia had recently announced that migrant workers would get their unpaid wages, which had been long overdue, but that gaps in the repayment scheme were putting the payments at risk, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch went on to state that, “Saudi authorities should ensure all former workers of these companies receive the full amount they are owed. The authorities should also put in place robust wage protection measures to address the rampant wage theft that migrant workers across the country experience.”
Michael Page, deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Human Rights Watch was quoted as saying:
“Migrant workers who were relieved after the announcement that they would finally be paid what they are owed want to remain optimistic despite almost a decade of waiting, but it’s critically important for the appointed bankruptcy and liquidation trustees, the Saudi authorities, and the migrants’ countries of origin to ensure that these promises are fully carried out.”
So, there is evidence about what was happening concerning Saudi Arabia on New Year’s Eve 2023 and in the first two months of 2024. Are those who accuse the Saudi regime of having a bad human rights record being fair?
In November 1967 Newcastle University became the only university in Britain to honour Dr Martin Luther King Jr. in his lifetime. One of King’s most famous quotes about his own time was: “vanity asks, is it popular? Politics ask, will it work? But conscience and morality ask, is it right?” What should we say and what should we do in our time to respond to issues such as the human rights record of the Saudi regime?
