After Ronaldo’s Al Nassr’s signing, Amnesty wants him to draw attention to human rights in Saudi Arabia

“Instead of offering uncritical praise of Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo should use his considerable public platform to draw attention to human rights issues in the country," said Amnesty International.

Cristiano Ronaldoreacts during his official unveiling as a new member of Al Nassr soccer club in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.Ronaldo, who has won five Ballon d'Ors awards for the best soccer player in the world and five Champions League titles, will play outside of Europe for the first time in his storied career. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

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“Al Nassr’s signing of Cristiano Ronaldo fits into a wider pattern of sportswashing in Saudi Arabia. It is highly likely that the Saudi authorities will promote Ronaldo’s presence in the country as a means of distracting from the country’s appalling human rights record,” said Amnesty’s Middle East researcher Dana Ahmed.

Amnesty International has urged Cristiano Ronaldo to leverage his celebrity status to draw attention to Saudi Arabia’s ‘appalling’ record on human rights after the former Manchester United player hailed his new hosts as a ‘wonderful country’ upon arriving at his new club Al Nassr.

“I had many opportunities … many clubs tried to sign me but I gave my word to this club to develop not only the football but other parts of this amazing country. I want to give a different vision of this club and country. This is why I took this opportunity,” said Cristiano Ronaldo after his arrival in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday after signing a deal reportedly worth £177m a year until 2025.

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“Instead of offering uncritical praise of Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo should use his considerable public platform to draw attention to human rights issues in the country. Saudi Arabia regularly executes people for crimes including murder, rape and drug smuggling,” said Dana Ahmed.

“Cristiano Ronaldo shouldn’t allow his fame and celebrity status to become a tool of Saudi sportswashing – he should use his time at Al Nassr to speak out about the myriad human rights issues in the country,” Ahmed added.