‘Free all Saudi prisoners’ banner flies over St James’ Park as Newcastle face Arsenal
‘Free all Saudi prisoners’ banner flies over St James’ Park as Saudi-backed Newcastle take on Arsenal in the Premier League
A banner reading ‘Free all Saudi prisoners’ was flown over St James Park as Newcastle hosted Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
The protest comes amid Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s backing of Newcastle after the acquisition was completed in 2021.
The Saudi regime has been heavily criticized by human rights groups for multiple alleged crimes.
This includes exploiting migrant workers, criminalizing the LGBTQ community and imprisoning and torturing anti-Saudi dissidents.
The banner also referred to the SANAD organization – short for Standing Against Nefarious and Arbitrary Detentions.
The body says it is a human rights organization, officially registered in the UK, that aims to “defend political and civil rights in Saudi Arabia”.
The SANAD organization says it “monitors human rights violations and exposes them to human rights organizations and media, civil and political institutions around the world.”
