Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Beirut: The Syrian delegation's visit to Beirut, which was scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed until next week
Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza: The total number of Palestinians killed due to famine and malnutrition has risen to 313, including 119 children
Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip: 10 people, including two children, have died of starvation in the past 24 hours
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: US envoy Tom Barrack cancels his visit to Tyre and al-Khiam amid popular protests
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Lebanon: Israeli occupation forces carried out an explosion in the southern border town of Kfar Kila
Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.

Amnesty International calls on Ronaldo to address Human Rights in KSA

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 4 Jan 2023 23:35
3 Min Read

A researcher at Amnesty Middle East says that Cristiano Ronaldo should not allow his fame and celebrity status to become a tool of Saudi sportswashing.

  • x
  • Amnesty International calls on Ronaldo to address Human Rights in KSA
    Cristiano Ronaldo holding his Al Nassr Saudi football club shirt following the signing announcement (Al Nassr Twitter account)

Portugal's football star Cristiano Ronaldo was urged to openly address the human rights issues in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after he recently joined the Saudi Al Nassr football club.

Ronaldo last Friday signed for Al Nassr until June 2025 in a deal believed to be worth more than 200 million euros.

The 37-year-old is expected to appear before fans on Thursday, an official from the Al Nassr club told AFP earlier.

History in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves. Welcome @Cristiano to your new home @AlNassrFC pic.twitter.com/oan7nu8NWC

— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) December 30, 2022

Ronaldo heads to the Gulf after a year that saw him relegated to the bench for Portugal and parting ways with Manchester United after the Portuguese star gave an explosive TV interview in which he said he felt "betrayed" by the club and had no respect for coach Erik ten Hag.

The English club terminated his contract while Ronaldo was with Portugal at the World Cup.

Related News

Cristiano Ronaldo flees field after Saudi Super Cup loss vs. Al Hilal

Telles joins Ronaldo at Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr

Amnesty International considered his signing as part of a "wider pattern of sportswashing" in the kingdom.

Read more: Erdogan: Ronaldo was subjected to political ban in World Cup

"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," stated Dana Ahmed, a researcher at Amnesty Middle East. 

"Saudi Arabia regularly executes people for crimes including murder, rape, and drug smuggling. On a single day last year, 81 people were put to death, many of whom were tried in grossly unfair trials," Ahmed said.

"The authorities are also continuing their crackdown on freedom of expression and association, with heavy prison sentences handed down to human rights defenders, women's rights activists, and other political activists," she added.   

The researcher believed that "Cristiano Ronaldo should not allow his fame and celebrity status to become a tool of Saudi's sportswashing. He should use his time at Al Nassr to speak out about the myriad of human rights issues in the country." 

Only hours after Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo penned a two-year contract with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr club, crowds flocked to a football kit store in Riyadh to buy the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's new club jersey.

An unprecedented rush at the Al Nassr kit store started as soon as reports of the deal were leaked to the local press on Friday night - hours before the official announcement. 

  • Al Nassr
  • football
  • Cristiano Ronaldo
  • Amnesty International
  • Saudi Arabia

Most Read

Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025
Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks (Photo by Mahdi Rtail)

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks

  • Politics
  • 26 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Palestinians pray over the bodies of people who were killed in an Israeli military strike, during their funeral outside Shifa Hospital, in Gaza City, Friday, August 22, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'Israel’s' 'double-tap' strike on Gaza hospital must be probed: UN

Elon Musk flashes his t-shirt that reads DOGE to the media as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Sunday, March 9, 2025 (AP)
Technology

Whistleblower warns DOGE mishandled social security data of millions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives for a joint press conference with President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 (AP)
Politics

House Democrats urge Rubio to admit injured Gaza kids after visa halt

The Microsoft Sign at the Redmond headquarters sprayed in red during a protest against 'Israel' using the company's cloud services, Redmond, Washington DC, United States, August 21, 2025 (Social Media)
Politics

Current, ex-Microsoft staff arrested in sit-in against Israeli ties

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS