Saudi abuse should not be concealed by Sport-Glitzer.

Sports-Glitz should not conceal Saudi mistreatment.

A week prior, an extravagant show transpired in Riyadh for the boxing event of a lifetime - meanwhile, just a short drive away, a women's rights advocate got imprisoned and endured maltreatment. Saudi Arabia persists in beautifying its record with athletic allure while chicanery rules within the nation.

The glamour shines anew. The spotlights blaze vigorously, as Riyadh gleams in grandiosity. Last weekend, the scoreboard for sports enthusiasts was locked on Saudi Arabia as Usyk was crowned undisputed heavyweight boxing champion by disfiguring Fury's nose during the world championship fight hailed as "The Brawl of the Century."

Celebrity soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't about to miss this chance, speeding up in a Ferrari Blue and snatching a seat in the front row, alongside British boxer Anthony Joshua. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, now managing the Saudi club Al-Ettifaq, and professional footballer Neymar, who competes in the Saudi league, were also present. Former world champion Wladimir Klitschko even ventured from Ukraine.

While these events unfolded, 29-year-old Manahel al-Otaibi sat captive. Waiting alone in a basement at al-Malaz Prison in Riyadh. The broken thigh comes as a consequence from authorities' barbaric assault upon her inside custody and the denial of medical attention. A mere 30-minute drive from the Kingdom Arena, where this bombastic boxing extravaganza took place.

Abduction and Maltreatment of al-Otaibi

Al-Otaibi, a Saudi fitness instructor and women empowerment activist, faced a 11-year prison term only a month prior to the world championship fight. Vanished into obscurity beginning in November 2023 until reunited with her family, she disclosed the abuse. Al-Otaibi got accused of violating Saudi Arabia's cybercrime regulations for advocating for women's rights on Twitter and uploading photographs of herself in shopping malls without wearing the abaya (traditional, ankle-length, long-sleeved robe).

Then she was condemned to 11 years in detention for "terrorist offenses," shrouded in secrecy during a trial at the Saudi Special Criminal Court (SCC) — allegedly a counterterrorism court used against peaceful resisters, with a notorious reputation for violating fair trial norms and meting out hefty sentences.

"Manahel al-Otaibi's conviction and 11-year sentence is an abominable and cruel injustice," said Ellen Wesemüller, spokeswoman for Amnesty International Germany. "Since her arrest, the Saudi authorities have tormented her relentlessly. Not only this conviction, but also their so-called reforms on women's rights in recent years, exposing the facade they've constructed."

Human rights groups continue to clamor for al-Otaibi's release, but to no avail. Fawzia, al-Otaibi's sister, had encountered similar accusations in 2022 and had left the kingdom that same year following a summons for interrogation. Over the last couple of years, several individuals, including numerous women, have fallen captive in Saudi Arabia through their online activities.

Saudi Vision 2030 and Sportswashing

"In July 2023, the Special Criminal Court for Terrorist Offenses handed 54-year-old retired teacher Mohammad bin Nasser Al-Ghamdi a death sentence merely for his peacetime digital activities on X and YouTube," explains Wesemüller. Ill-defined internet laws are also used to target individuals these days and accuse them of covert sexual relationships.

Suffering is Manahel al-Otaibi's fate, while the global boxing spectacle is primarily and almost exclusively about the event's epic grandeur and the gruesome wounds inflicted. Human rights violations in Saudi Arabia have little interest in these stories. Saudi Arabia's maneuver has again triumphed: employing sports like boxing, soccer, golf, and tennis to polish the kingdom's reputation and divert attention from its dismal human rights history and its criminal offense. "Saudi Arabia's self-portrayal must be seen as marketing gimmicks rather than a reflection of authentic reality," comments Wesemüller.

In boxing, Saudi officials have found an unmatched venue for their extravagant resources, where money talks louder than in most other athletic conferences. The "fight of the century" was arranged by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), overseen by Turki al-Sheikh. This cultural supervisor is also a royal advisor and nestled front row to Ronaldo, embracing him warmly.

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Since 2016, Al-Sheikh has been responsible for the development of Saudi Arabia's sports and entertainment sector as part of a program aimed at economic diversification and social liberalization under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. As the de facto ruler, MBS is one of the most influential individuals on the planet and also serves as the country's prime minister since 2022. Despite his youth at the age of 38, MBS is cunning, power-hungry, relentless, and intelligent. He started devising his own strategies for economic and legal matters way back in 2011, which eventually led to the creation of Vision 2030 - a plan to modernize Saudi Arabia, increase its dependence on the West, and achieve independence from oil within just two decades.

Critics, however, point out the horrific human rights violations and crimes committed by the absolute monarchy. Amnesty International and other organizations have condemned the government for atrocities such as war crimes in Yemen, the execution of Ethiopian asylum seekers at the borders, suppression of free speech, imprisonment of dissidents, and murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Regarding the Ethiopian migrants who were killed at the border with Yemen from March 2022 to June 2023, Human Rights Watch reports that border guards used mortar rounds on people and shot some of them at close range, including minors. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Ethiopian migrants and asylum seekers lost their lives during this period.

Amnesty's Wesemüller has specifically criticized Saudi Arabia's rampant use of the death penalty, including execution of people imprisoned for non-violent crimes, and the execution of 81 people in a single day in 2022. He added, "Saudi Arabia leads the list of countries with the most death sentences, alongside China and Iran, with 172 executions in 2023." Court rulings in these cases were grossly unfair, with some being imposed on minors.

The intention behind flashy events like the Fury vs Usyk fight is to draw attention away from these violations and boost Saudi Arabia's reputation as a "sports center." The government hopes that hosting these major events will encourage wealthy Saudis to spend more at home. However, the bottom 20% of the country's 32.2 million citizens, a large number of whom are women or female-headed households, cannot afford to participate in these upscale soccer or boxing events.

Saudi Arabia also aspires to become a global tourist destination. This plan is proving successful, with MBS speaking out against the accusations of "sportswashing" in a Fox News interview in September 2023. He proclaimed, "I don't care about the accusations against my country. If sportswashing increases my gross domestic product by one percent, I will continue to do sportswashing. Part of economic diversification is tourism; it also includes culture and the sports sector."

Officially, Vision 2030 includes opening up Saudi Arabia and granting women more rights. However, the reality is much darker. While women without headscarves are evidently present at the glittering boxing matches, Western rap music is played, and women can supposedly dress however they want, as per MBS's claims, this is not the truth. The regime's actions are a stark contrast to their narrative of reform and women's empowerment, highlighting their arbitrary and inconsistent treatment of women in the country. Amnesty International's Wesemüller adds, "To be frank: Saudi Arabia's promises of reform are a lie."

Manahel al-Otaibi's case, for instance, is a clear example of this. MBS claims that women can dress as they please, but this is far from the truth. Al-Otaibi's arrest and severe punishment further demonstrate the inconsistency and arbitrariness of their so-called reforms, illustrating the Saudi regime's continued determination to control women in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia's recent investment in women's tennis stands out even more because of its announcement last week. With the country taking over the UN presidency for women's rights from 2025, it appears to be a taunt directed at al-Otaibi and other oppressed women within the kingdom. According to Wesemüller, "women are still subject to discrimination by law and everyday life in Saudi Arabia." The country has had a Personal Status Law since 2022, which has reinforced gender disparities in aspects of family life such as marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance, in contrast to its official promises. It also fails to safeguard women against gender-based violence.

Fury praised Saudi Arabia as the top player in the boxing world during an interview with the Financial Times before his world championship match. "They're the biggest players in the game," he said, "and I don't think we've seen the beginning of what they're capable of." After the fight, both boxers showed their gratitude to the kingdom's leaders in front of a packed audience.

Notably, fitness coach Manahel al-Otaibi could have enjoyed watching the boxing event on TV. However, like many other individuals, she is currently experiencing the oppressive reality of imprisonment due to her commitment to securing her human rights.

Read also:

Despite the excitement surrounding Tyson Fury's victory in the highly anticipated boxing match in Saudi Arabia, human rights activist Manahel al-Otaibi, who advocated for women's rights on social media, was enduring abuse in a prison cell just 30 minutes away.
Cristiano Ronaldo's attendance at the boxing event in Riyadh drew attention, but the global focus on the sporting spectacle obscured the ongoing human rights violations in Saudi Arabia, such as the case of Manahel al-Otaibi, who was accused of violating cybercrime regulations for advocating women's rights.
While soccer players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard graced the event, the boxing championship in Saudi Arabia served as a means for the country to sportswash its human rights record, diverting attention from the imprisonment and maltreatment of individuals like Manahel al-Otaibi.

Source: www.ntv.de