Saudis' Newcastle friendlies branded distraction tactic from human rights abuses
Saudi Arabia is hosting international matches at St James' Park to distract attention from its human rights abuses at home, said the sister of the country’s most famous political prisoner.
Lina al-Hathloul spoke out during a visit to the north east ahead of two friendlies the desert kingdom is playing against Costa Rica on Friday and next Tuesday against South Korea.
The 28-year-old has fought for her sister, Loujain, who was thrown in jail after campaigning for women’s rights to drive and posting a video of herself behind the wheel on Twitter.
Loujain, 34, who once shared a stage at a One World event with the then Meghan Markle, was tortured during the 1001 days she spent behind bars before being released and placed under a travel ban to prevent her speaking out.
Saudi Arabia has only ever played once in the UK, a friendly against England at Wembley in 1998 which ended in a 0-0 draw.
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“When has the Saudi team played abroad for a friendly match?” said Lina. “It’s very rare. So they’re using Newcastle as a tool to push for their own agenda.”
Talking about the Saudi takeover of Newcastle United in October 2021, she added: “I had been campaigning about what happened to my sister then I realised that if the Saudi takeover went ahead then people would associate the country with Newcastle and not my sister, which is what sportswashing is about”.
The term, sportswashing, was coined by Amnesty International, to describe when a country with a toxic human rights reputation uses the glamour of sport to distract from its abuses.
Lina said she was not calling on Newcastle fans to stop supporting their team, but asked them to raise awareness of what the Saudi state is doing.
“You can love your club and speak out,” she said, suggesting supporters held up a picture of Salma al-Shebab, 35, a PhD student from Leeds University jailed for 34 years for tweets.
Newcastle fans celebrate the Saudi takeover back in October 2021 (Getty Images) John Hird, founder of NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing, described the Saudi hosting of international matches “in our stadium” as “a bridge too far”.
Pointing out that St James’ Park is owned by the city council, and not the club, he said the local authority could have acted to stop the games as it had done when it broke off relations with China last year over its treatment of a Muslim minority.
He added: ”Through these internationals, this regime is being allowed to use our city, use Newcastle’s ground, as a giant billboard to deflect attention away from the crimes against Lina’s sister and the rest of them.
“We’re often asked what our endgame is. The endgame is we don’t want a bloody dictatorship to own our club. We want them out”.
Mr Hird criticised Magpies legend Alan Shearer for standing up for Gary Lineker ’s right to free speech when the BBC presenter controversially spoke out over UK immigration, but remaining silent about the lack of free speech in Saudi Arabia.
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He also said the time for celebrating the end of hated former club owner Mike Ashley’s reign was over and fans now needed to focus on atrocities being perpetrated by the club’s new owners, such as the killing of more than 600 unarmed Ethiopian migrants by Saudi border guards in a new report by Human Rights Watch.
Fans who wish to demonstrate about the international matches are asked to meet at St James’ Park at 7.15pm on Friday between the Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer statues.
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