Human Rights Watch launches campaign against Saudi ‘image laundering’
Leading international campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has launched a campaign to discourage figures in the world of entertainment, sports and culture from involvement in events in Saudi Arabia.
The campaign takes aim at Saudi Arabia’s attempts to whitewash its human rights record using high-profile sporting and cultural events, much of it as part of its Vision 2030 strategy, which also includes the construction of projects such as Neom.
HRW singles out performers who have played in the kingdom since 2018, including Enrique Iglesias, Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Janet Jackson, 50 Cent, Jennifer Lopez, and David Guetta. It also notes sports events, such as the 2020 Dakar Rally, the Saudi Invitational Golf Tournament and WWE wrestling events.
The announcement came two years after the murder of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi security forces at the kingdom’s embassy in Istanbul.
Michael Page, HRW deputy Middle East director, said: “Saudi citizens and residents should enjoy top-notch entertainment and sporting events, but they also should enjoy basic rights such as free expression and peaceful assembly.
“So, when Hollywood A-listers, international athletes, and other global celebrities take government money to perform in Saudi Arabia while staying silent on the government’s atrocious rights record, they are boosting the kingdom’s strategy of whitewashing Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s abuses.”
HRW details Saudi abuses of human rights, including the arrests dissidents, activists, intellectuals, and royal family members, alongside its central role in the catastrophic war in Yemen. The group notes the role played by international celebrities in distracting world attention from such abuses and allowing the kingdom to present itself in a positive light.
Neom has made sports and entertainment key parts of its image, with major stadiums and performance venues among its promised features.
In order for projects like Neom to succeed, investors and tourists will be needed from around the world. Saudi human rights abuses have turned away former backers, such as Richard Branson, while others have refused to be involved, including Nicki Minaj and John Cena.
Page said: “The Saudi government has gone all-out in the past two years to bury Jamal Khashoggi’s murder under public spectacles and sporting events.
“Until there is real accountability for this and other crimes by the Saudi leadership, those silently benefiting from the kingdom’s largess risk being an accomplice in whitewashing Saudi abuses.”
More on the campaign can be found on the HRW website.
