SUMMARY OF MEETING BETWEEN SAUDI HUMAN RIGHTS DELEGATION AND NEWCASTLE CITY COUNCIL LEADER

NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing welcomed a delegation of Saudi human rights activists and discussed their opposition to the club's Saudi ownership due to human rights concerns in Saudi Arabia. The participants also discussed the Saudi Arabian government's investment in democracies, the influence of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), and the potential impact of international trade agreements on their organization and the broader community. The conversation ended with a discussion on the pattern of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia, the importance of solidarity with victims of human rights abuses, and the need for transparency and accountability in the ownership of Newcastle United.

NEXT STEPS

• Newcastle City Council to consider writing a letter addressing human rights concerns about the Public Investment Fund to Yasir al-Rumayyan after reading the Human Rights Watch report.

• Newcastle City Council to consider adopting Manahel al-Otaibi as an honorary citizen of Newcastle to highlight her case.

• Newcastle United fans to potentially organise solidarity actions for Saudi human rights victims at the Carabao Cup final on March 16th.

• Human rights advocates to continue engaging with local Newcastle City Council to put Saudi human rights issues on the agenda.

• UK citizens to raise awareness about the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations between the UK and Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

• Activists to follow up with Newcastle City Council on their list of demands from the meeting.

• Media and press to continue investigating and reporting on Saudi investments and influence in Newcastle and the UK.

SUMMARY

Saudi Activists Share Experiences

Andrew Page from NUFCFAS welcomed a delegation of Saudi human rights activists who had just come from a meeting with Newcastle City Council's leader, Karen Kilgour. The activists, including a Saudi women's rights activist, Lina al-Hathloul, head of advocacy and monitoring at ALQST, and Joey Shea, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, were invited to share their experiences.

Newcastle Supporters Oppose Saudi Ownership

NUFCFAS discussed their opposition to the club's Saudi ownership due to human rights concerns in Saudi Arabia. They highlighted the impact of the takeover on their campaign group and their interactions with local politicians. The group expressed disappointment over the council leader's reluctance to publicly support their cause, despite meeting with them. They emphasized the need for the city council to show solidarity with human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia and to address concerns about the Public Investment Fund. They also discussed their list of demands, including honouring individual human rights victims and raising their cases. The group will continue to follow up on these demands and expects the city council to eventually acknowledge their role in supporting the Saudi ownership of the club.

Saudi Government's Influence on Democracies

The participants discussed the Saudi Arabian government's investment in democracies and its political influence. They highlighted the risks of normalized authoritarianism in these countries and the need to speak out against human rights abuses, using the example of Lina’s sister's imprisonment and the case of the young men on death row. They acknowledged potential accusations of racism and Islamophobia and emphasised that advocating for human rights is not going against people but rather against an oppressive regime. The participants also discussed the Saudi government's strategy of accusing critics of being racist and called for solidarity with Saudi people who are victims of this regime.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund

The meeting focused on the influence of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and its implications for Newcastle and the UK. The speakers discussed the case of Manahel al-Otaibi, who was arrested and charged with wearing indecent clothes and tweeting under a feminist hashtag. The speakers also highlighted the PIF's role in undermining transparency and accountability mechanisms abroad, using the example of the US Senate investigation into PIF investments in the US. They emphasized the need for citizens to engage with their local city council to prevent Saudi regime influence in their city and to raise awareness about the ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement between the UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The speakers also discussed the PIF's governance structure, which is largely controlled by Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. The conversation ended with an invitation for further questions from the floor.

Northumbria University's Trade Agreement Concerns

The discussion revolved around the concerns of the Northumbria University Students' Union regarding the potential impact of international trade agreements on their organization and the broader community. They discussed the need for transparency and access to information, particularly in relation to sustainable energy deals. The delegation also discussed the potential risks of data centres in Saudi Arabia, which could compromise privacy and security. They expressed concerns about the short-sighted policies of companies like Google and Microsoft, which could lead to detrimental consequences in the long run. The delegation also mentioned their efforts to find alternatives to using Google and Gmail due to privacy concerns. Lastly, they mentioned a list of 8 demands they had submitted to the Council Leader.

Saudi Spyware and Human Rights

The use of spyware by the Saudi government was also discussed. PEGASUS is sold by an Israeli company. The spyware allows the Saudi government to access individuals' phones without any interaction from the phone's owner. There is a lawsuit against QuaDream, an Israeli spyware. The Saudi government has not admitted to using the spyware but has not denied it either. The Saudi government has been accused of violating human rights and normalising violations in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Violations

The discussion focused on the pattern of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia and how they correlate with international acceptance of the Saudi regime. Participants noted that violations tend to increase after visits from world leaders or when Saudi Arabia feels less international pressure. They cited examples such as increased repression following visits by Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron, and Joe Biden. The conversation also touched on the arbitrary nature of the Saudi judicial system, particularly the specialised criminal court, where judges have discretionary power to determine crimes and sentences without a written penal code.

NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing

John, a representative from NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing, emphasised the importance of the meeting and the need for solidarity with victims of human rights abuses. He criticised the lack of action from the Council, MPs, and fan groups despite their pre-takeover commitments to ‘keep talking about human rights.’. John highlighted the need for transparency and accountability in the ownership of Newcastle United and called for solidarity during the upcoming Carabao Cup Final against Liverpool. He also suggested that the club's success has led to a lack of attention to the human rights issues. 

Fouz al-Otaibi, a victim of human rights abuses, shared her experiences and expressed hope for support from Newcastle United fans. The discussion also touched on the reputational damaging effects of the Saudi government's investment in cultural assets and the need for transparency in such investments.

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