Amnesty International (AI) has requested a meeting with the Premier League to discuss the policies of acceptance of owners in the competition after the sale of Newcastle United. The English club has been acquired by a Saudi fund linked to the country’s government, questioned for its crimes against human rights such as the dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul.
Amnesty International UK President Sacha Deshmukh has written to Premier Executive Chairman Richard Masters requesting a meeting to discuss changes to the competition’s owners and presidents policies. “The way in which the Premier League has enabled this deal opens up many questions about face-lift in sport, human rights and integrity in English football.”Deshmukh said.
“How can it be okay that current Premier League policies say nothing about human rights? Football is a global sport that needs to update its rules to prevent those implicated in human rights violations from buying their entry into the game. English football, “he added. As explained the Premier League, received “judicial guarantees” that Saudi Arabia will not control the club, so he was able to give the green light to the operation.