From executions to torture: The dire state of human rights in Cristiano Ronaldo's new home

Cristiano Ronaldo is finally set to make his long-awaited debut in Saudi Arabia.

He does at a time considered to be one of the “most oppressive” periods in the history of the Middle Eastern country. Civil rights activists are imprisoned, mass executions continue to take place, women face severe restrictions on their lives and the regime has launched scores of allegedly illegal air strikes in the war in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia’s attempts to improve its image through the use of sportswashing is well known, with Ronaldo’s move to the country being the latest in those attempts. It is a trend that has been noted and picked up by Human Rights Watch, who believe the Saudi regime is using sporting events as a deliberate strategy to create a better image of itself.

“The Saudi government has spent billions of dollars to host major entertainment, cultural and sporting events as a deliberate strategy to deflect from the country’s image as a pervasive human rights violator,” Joey Shea, Saudi Arabia researcher for the NGO, told Mirror Football.

“Of course, these initiatives can be used for beneficial purposes inside the country. Saudis themselves should be able to enjoy cultural events, entertainment and sports.

“But specifically, the Saudi government is using these high-profile events, high-profile celebrities and athletes to whitewash its poor human rights record and deflect efforts to hold leadership accountable for its human rights abuses.

“In general, Saudi Arabia is investing its money into the sports world because the authorities want to buy these positive connotations from sporting events and the football world in general.

“In so doing, they seek to sportswash their human rights record. So it’s part of this broader effort.”

The list of human rights abuses that the Middle East country is accused of committing is vast.

The murder of journalist Jamal Al-Khashoggi has been widely reported, while the regime also ordered the mass execution of 81 men last March. Human Rights Watch recently added its signature to an open letter denouncing the persecution of political dissidents.

The letter highlighted an increasing crackdown on dissenting voices, with writers, academics and activists all subjected to harassment, arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearances. While the regime under Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman has publicly promised reforms, Shea has insisted that little has yet been done to liberalise laws in the country.

“Saudi Arabia’s experiencing one of the worst periods of oppression in its modern history,” Shea added.

“Scores of human rights activists and dissidents remain in prison for their activism, authorities do not hold high level officials to account, accountable for their suspected involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Al-Khashoggi in 2018.

“And also the Saudi-led coalition has continued a military campaign in Yemen against the Houthis. That has included scores of unlawful air strikes that have killed and wounded thousands of civilians throughout the war.

“The regime has announced legal reforms, but still MBS and the Saudi authorities conducted the largest mass execution in decades in March of last year with 81 men executed in a single day, despite promises to curtail use of the death penalty.

“Saudi authorities target both Saudi and non-Saudi social media users for peaceful online expression and punish them with decades-long sentences. In a nutshell, like I said, it is one of the worst periods of oppression in the country’s modern history.”

Women are also heavily discriminated against, with laws continuing to be enacted that entrench persecutory practices against them.

“The Saudi state has promised reforms to the male guardianship system, but despite these promises, authorities continue to implement the male guardianship system,” Shea said.

“[The system] requires women to obtain permission from their male guardians to get married, to obtain some forms of healthcare and husbands can also reportedly withhold consent if women want to seek higher education abroad.

“They did pass a codified personal status law, but it still entrenches discriminatory provisions for women. Discriminatory provisions in marriage and divorce, inheritance, decisions related to children.

“So, despite these promises of reform, the oppression and violations are getting worse.”

The human rights abuses committed by the Saudi state are well known, with Ronaldo’s new club Al-Nassr having close ties to the regime. The question then is: should Ronaldo speak out about the violations committed by the country he now calls home?

“Athletes should always use their position to advocate for human rights, particularly in the context of Saudi Arabia,” is Shea’s answer.

“I don’t know if it’s my place as a human rights researcher to feel disappointed or not in Ronaldo himself. But I would say that I think it’s important for athletes to use their position to advocate on behalf of human rights issues, particularly in the context of the Gulf.

“If these high profile athletes, and everyone associated with them, if they use these platforms to raise the profile of the abuses that are happening in the country, then I think footballers and athletes can certainly be a force for good.

Mirror Football has contacted the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the UK for comment.