At the same time as the English Premier League Cup was being held, three human rights organisations sent a letter to the Chief coach of Newcastle United Football Club, Eddie Howe, expressing deep concern about human rights violations in Saudi Arabia and the government's ownership of the club, and calling on him to use this opportunity to speak out about these violations.
The European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights, Reprieve, and Al-QST stated in the letter that Eddie Howe promised to speak about human rights in Saudi Arabia, especially after many fans and human rights organisations demanded it.
The organisations explained that a group of Newcastle United fans took steps to raise awareness about the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia. They began campaigns, organised protests in front of the stadium, published fanzines, and worked with victims of human rights violations to highlight their cases.
Among the issues they raised was the case of Abdullah al-Huwaiti, who was arrested when he was 14 years old and tortured, then sentenced to death when he turned 17. Fans also spoke about other victims like Hassan al-Maliki and Salman al-Ouda, who are at risk of execution for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
The organisations believe that relying on fans' activities is not enough. Newcastle United's management should use its platforms to speak about the efforts of the public and condemn the Saudi government.
In the letter, the Newcastle United manager was urged to make good on his previous promises to find out about the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia. The letter also stated that the organisations understand concerns about engaging in politics and geopolitics, but human rights are more fundamental than that. The organisations considered that not speaking about violations would send a message that these violations do not matter.
The letter pointed out that over the past seven years, since King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his son Mohammed bin Salman came to power, the Saudi government has beheaded more than 1,000 people, 157 of which were carried out since the Saudi Public Investment Fund bought Newcastle United Football Club in October 2021. According to the letter, many people were executed for non-violent crimes, and some were executed for participating in protests or speaking out against the government.
The three organisations considered that Eddie Howe, as a prominent figure in football, is responsible for promoting the values of justice, equality, and fairness that the game revolves around. They considered that the Saudi government's use of the death penalty and its bloody record of human rights violations conflict with those values, which must be addressed.
The organisations urged Howe to respond to the concerns of fans and human rights organisations. They also urged Howe to use the platform to raise awareness of the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia.