LONDON (Middle East Eye) – Hatice Cengiz, the fiancée of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has made a last-minute plea to stop the Premier League “caving in” on Saudi Arabia’s takeover of Newcastle United Football Club.
Cengiz said she was horrified that the league appears willing to let Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “wash his reputation, and sully the name of sports”.
Saudi Arabia has been accused of human rights abuses and the proposed buyout has been criticized by rights advocates, who accuse the kingdom of attempting to “sportswash” abuses.
The takeover by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which failed last year, appeared close on Thursday after the PIF proved the Saudi state would not have control of the club.
Saudi Arabia has been committing war crimes in Yemen, detaining and torturing women’s rights activists, and has carried out hundreds of executions since King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud took the throne in 2015.
The crown prince also stands accused by the United Nations and CIA of being directly involved in the brutal murder of Khashoggi in October 2018.
Cengiz and her legal team are continuing to pursue a lawsuit against Mohammed bin Salman, with the CIA believing that the kingdom’s de facto ruler approved the killing in the Saudi embassy in Istanbul.
“Only a few days after the third anniversary of Jamal’s murder, it is horrifying to learn that the crown prince is on the brink of getting what he wants: to wash his reputation, and sully the name of sports,” Cengiz told the UK’s Telegraph newspaper.
“I ask what has now suddenly changed? There is still no justice for Jamal’s murder. I urge the Premier League not to cave in now - this is the moment to show courage and principle. It will show the killers they cannot wash away their crimes. The [Premier] League needs to lead by example for football fans and all people to say no to murder.”