Deceptive Sport's Shine Shouldn't Conceal Saudi Cruelty

Deceptive sports luster should not conceal Saudi mistreatment.

Not too long ago, a grand display of boxing took place in Riyadh. This event was hailed as the "Fight of the Century," with numerous celebrities and sports figures in attendance. Just a short drive away, a women's rights activist was being held in prison and mistreated. Saudi Arabia attempts to cover up its inhumanity with athletic luster.

The lights are dim, the stage is set, Riyadh is decked out in all its glory. Eyes from around the sporting spectrum gathered in the capital city last weekend to witness Oleksandr Usyk defeat Tyson Fury in the heavyweight boxing world championship. The boxing ring transformed into a magnificent spectacle, attracting sports superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool manager Steven Gerrard. Neymar, a player for a Saudi team, and Wladimir Klitschko, a former world champion, were also in attendance.

As the extravagant sporting activity unfolded, 29-year-old Manahel al-Otaibi endured the harsh realities of captivity in al-Malaz prison. She also experienced the additional suffering of being denied medical treatment for a broken leg, which she sustained during her time in custody. This prison is located just a 30-minute car ride away from the glitzy Saudi Arena, where the boxing extravaganza commercial was held.

Al-Otaibi's Capture and Abuse

Manahel al-Otaibi is a fitness trainer and a women's rights activist who was given an 11-year prison sentence, which came into effect a month before the glamorous boxing event. Al-Otaibi was forcibly removed from public view for nearly a year, from November 2023 to April 2024, as the government clamped down on online dissent. She returned home and revealed her abuse only after her relatives could establish contact with her. Al-Otaibi was originally charged with breaking the country's cybercrime law for her tweets and Snapchat photos of herself at the mall without the traditional abaya.

She was subsequently sentenced to 11 years in prison for "terrorism-related offenses" in a secret trial conducted at the Saudi Special Criminal Court (SCC), a court that human rights groups claim is specifically used to prosecute peaceful dissenters. These groups have spoken out against her unjust treatment. The SCC is known for flagrantly violating the principles of a fair trial and resulting in excessively harsh sentences.

Ellen Wesemüller, Amnesty International's spokesperson in Germany, stated to ntv.de, "The punishment meted out to Manahel al-Otaibi is appalling and cruel. Since her arrest, Saudi authorities have subjected her to non-stop abuse. Her punishment has exposed the misleading nature of their recent publicity stunts about women's rights reforms and displayed their unshakable intent to silence peaceful expression."

Al-Otaibi's detention has attracted global attention. Human rights activists have called for her release to no avail. Fawzia, her sister, faced similar charges in 2022 but was able to leave the kingdom after receiving a summons for an interrogation. Over the last two years, dozens of individuals, a majority of them women, have been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for posting material on social media that expresses an opposing view.

Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and Sportswashing

In 2023, the Special Criminal Court for Terrorist Offenses condemned Mohammad bin Nasser al-Ghamdi, a 54-year-old retired teacher, to death for his non-violent activities on Twitter and YouTube. The Saudi government has also used vague laws pertaining to cybercrime to quash people accused of engaging in sexual relations outside of marriage.

As al-Otaibi endures, the global boxing coverage has been hyper-focused on the event and the spectacle, with little to no coverage of the country's human rights record or the atrocities committed within its borders. Manahel al-Otaibi's fate and Saudi Arabia's appalling human rights conditions have been overshadowed by the glamorous displays of boxing. Saudi Arabia accomplishes its goal with each high-profile sporting event, projecting a farce of reform to eclipse its genuine transgressions. According to Wesemüller, "You have to comprehend how Saudi Arabia markets itself: it's all about advertising, not an honest portrayal of reality."

In the boxing sphere, Saudi officials have discovered a potent tool to polish their image, and promoters and boxers alike are more than willing to pocket the generous compensation packages offered. The "Fight of the Century" was organized by the Saudi government's Entertainment Authority (GEA). A key player in the organization is Turki al-Sheikh, who is not only an advisor to the royal court but also a seatmate of Ronaldo at the event.

Sheikh Al-Sheikh has taken charge of the sports and entertainment realm since 2016, as part of an initiative by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to enhance economic diversification and open up cultural policies in Saudi Arabia. Barely 38 years old, the influential MBS serves as the kingdom's de facto ruler and has been its prime minister since 2022. Often regarded as cunning, ambitious, persistent, and savvy, his interest in strategizing dates back to his childhood, when he was fascinated by games like "Age of Empires" and legends of Alexander the Great. Once in power, he devised his own strategies in collaboration with economists and lawyers, which translated into Vision 2030, a plan to lead Saudi Arabia towards embracing Western culture and achieving economic independence from oil within two decades.

However, while grand sporting events such as the recent boxing match captivate spectators in Saudi Arabia, human rights groups suggest there's a darker side to these glitzy fixtures. Organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International criticize the absolute monarchy for several abhorrent actions, including the unjustifiable killings of Ethiopian asylum seekers and the archaic practices of illiberal regimes. Among these offenses are war crimes in Yemen, heinous murders of Ethiopian migrants at the Saudi border, the offending suppression of free speech, incarcerations of dissidents, mistreatment of women rights advocates, and the notorious murder of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

When it comes to the barbarous death of Ethiopian refugees, Amnesty's Wesemüller bluntly observes: "Boundary guards had employed mortar shells against people and even shot some of them from close range, including minors. The report conveys that hundreds, if not thousands, of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers were slain along the Yemen border over a period of four months."

Saudi Arabia's unyielding application of capital punishment, including executions for non-violent offenses, has garnered international attention. "Saudi Arabia is ranked third among countries that have administered the most death penalties, alongside China and Iran, with an astounding 172 executions in 2023," Wesemüller notes. "Judicial courts, on the other hand, have imposed the death penalty after evidently unfair trials and against individuals who were minors at the time of the supposed offense - despite a promise to deter such punishments."

In light of this, the Saudis have resorted to organizing sporting events, like the Fury vs. Usyk duel, to distract the public from their human rights violations and enhance the country's prominence as a "sporting hub." Their intention is to encourage wealthy Saudis to spend more within the kingdom. The impoverished fraction of Saudi Arabia's 32.2 million population - comprised mostly of females and single-headed households - are unable to enjoy these extravagant soccer and boxing events.

Furthermore, as part of the economic diversification plan, Saudi Arabia is to be transformed into a global tourist destination. Official representatives of the country flatly dismiss these allegations; nevertheless, in September 2023, the powerful MBS confessed to Fox News: "I'm indifferent towards the accusations [of sportswashing]. If sportswashing stimulates my country's overall production by 1%, I'll carry on with this practice." He continued by stating: "The tourism sector is integral to the realization of Vision 2030. And yes, tourism involves the spread of culture, and part of it is the sports sector."

Although Vision 2030 intends for the country to embrace progression and enhance the rights of women, reality tells a different story. Despite the presence of uncovered women and playlists featuring Western beats at lavish events, Bin Salman's reign is a somber period for human rights in Saudi Arabia. "To state the obvious: Saudi Arabia's appeal to reform is a myth," Wesemüller asserts from Amnesty International.

Al-Otaibi's case, in particular, contradicts the Saudi authorities' claim of progression for women. MBS's statement that women can clothe themselves as per their will is deemed false with respect to the repercussions on al-Otaibi. The expert concludes: "With al-Otaibi's arrest and severe punishment, Saudi authorities have consistently showcased the capriciousness and inconsistency of their alleged reforms and demonstrated their persistent determination to suppress females in the country."

Riyadh's significant investment in women's tennis, officially unveiled last week, is now even more deceitful. Saudi Arabia's takeover of the UN's women's advancement presidency from 2025 is also an insult to al-Otaibi and other captive and imprisoned ladies in the nation. "Women still face discrimination by the law and in daily life," declares Wesemüller. "Saudi Arabia adopted a Personal Status Law since 2022, which unfortunately maintains gender bias in all aspects of family activities, from matrimony and separation to child care and inheritance, contrary to the official announcements. It also does not safeguard women from gender-based violence."

Saudi Arabia is currently "the leading nation in the world" for boxing, Fury told the Financial Times before his global championship match. "They're the dominant players for this sport right now, and I believe we've just seen the start of a huge vision they have for it," Fury said. "They have a gigantic plan for this sport." After their fight, both boxers expressed their gratitude to the rulers of the country inside the ring.

As a fitness instructor, Manahel al-Otaibi may have wanted to watch the boxing match on TV. However, similarly to many other people, she is a victim of oppression and incarceration due to her struggle for her right as a human being.