The jailing of 12 Shiite Muslim men in Saudi Arabia highlights the dangers for fans wishing to travel for sporting events such as the World Cup, according to human rights activists and exiled Saudi Shiite men. That's what it means.
The men were filmed singing religious songs celebrating the birth of Imam Ali, an important figure in Shiite Islam, at a match between their teams, Al Safa and Al Bukiriya, and other He was summoned for questioning along with more than 100 fans. In January. The 12 people imprisoned have received either six-month or one-year sentences, but the length of their sentences is not always respected as there is little international oversight of Saudi prisons and the legal system.
The men were punished under the kingdom's cybercrime law, a provision that is often used to punish those accused of committing crimes offline. Many observers in Saudi Arabia believe these laws are arbitrary, allowing the country, ruled by de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to protect against groups and beliefs that do not align with its own. It allows these laws to be used to crack down on people.
Freedom of expression under threat
“These laws have terrible penalties on fundamental freedom of expression issues,” Joey Shea, Saudi Arabia researcher at Human Rights Watch, told DW. “Anything that can be interpreted as destabilizing a country or insulting a country's leadership can carry very heavy penalties and can be cracked down on. And deciding what speech to police could be a political decision.''
In recent years, these laws have been used to impose decades-long prison terms and even death sentences for sending tweets deemed critical of a country's leaders.
For Al Safa fans, the attack appears to be glorifying their religion. The club is based in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, where most of the country's Shiite minority population is based. Shiites, a sect of Islam known as followers, have long been persecuted in Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and have no representation in positions of power. When bin Salman took power and promised to modernize the country, Shi'ites like Taha al-Haj hoped for an improvement in the situation.
“There was a period of optimism for the Shiite community that the situation would improve, the harsh environment for Shiites would ease, and they would be able to practice their rituals,'' said the man who fled his homeland and now works as a lawyer in Germany. Alhaji told DW. . “It is clear that the new government's approach pretends to be accepting of other countries, but in reality it is imposing increasingly severe restrictions, whether on religious ceremonies or freedom of belief. .”
Human rights groups do not have access to Saudi prisons, but testimonies from those released say 12 people have no access to medical care or contact with their families, and face “general neglect and dire conditions.” '', Shea said.
Ministry of Sports dismisses club director
Alhaj, who is providing legal advice to the European Saudi Human Rights Agency, said the men had the right to appeal, but given that the courts were effectively run by the government, they were unlikely to succeed. Stated. He denies the idea that they committed a crime. “The chants did not involve provocation, incitement, abuse or aggression towards any person,” he said.
Saudi authorities apparently disagreed and fired all of Al Safa's directors. In a statement, the country's sports ministry said the club had violated Article 36.3 of the rulebook and engaged in “practices and acts contrary to public order, morals and regulations,” adding that it would “recommend violations.” We urge the relevant authorities to take necessary measures. ” It is likely that he will be replaced with a representative more favorable to the government, but this has not yet been announced.
Saudi Arabia's huge investment in sports has turned the world's attention to the oil-rich Gulf state. So far, most major sporting events have gone off without a hitch due to the small number of overseas fans who travel. However, the 2034 Soccer World Cup is likely to be an even bigger test. Fans accustomed to complete freedom of expression will visit in greater numbers, but players, coaches, and administrators will also be more likely to use politics, such as rainbow armbands or mouth-covering gestures to get the German team's attention. It shows a willingness to take up sensitive topics. There is a lack of freedom of speech in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup. For Shia, this could lead to serious problems.
“It's not safe to go to a soccer game.”
“It is absolutely not safe to watch a soccer match in Saudi Arabia and express any form of political opinion, including uncritical support for Mohammed bin Salman,” Shia said. “We don't know how the Saudi authorities will react when there are large numbers of foreigners visiting who are accustomed to raising issues at soccer matches. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that there will be more arrests in the future. I think.”
Alhaji has similar concerns, adding that Saudi Arabia's lack of reporting and transparency means the extent of persecution of minorities and dissidents remains unknown, adding: “Attire, “Everyone must be careful because there is a risk of being arrested based on one's appearance or words,” he added. and the attitude they took, or the slogans and flags they raised. ”
FIFA, the organizers of the World Cup, has said it is “committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and will seek to promote the protection of these rights”, but Alhaji said FIFA is He said he was not putting pressure on Saudi Arabia to change. It is unclear whether the imprisonment of international fans, rather than Saudi Shiites, may continue to have coercive effects.
Editor: Mark Meadows
