Hosting an Olympics is the “ultimate goal”, Saudi Arabia’s sports minister has confirmed. Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal was speaking as Anthony Joshua fought Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah on Sunday – and one day after the United Nations human rights office denounced the 34-year prison sentence handed to Salma al-Shehab, a PhD student at Leeds University, for sharing Twitter messages. It is reportedly the longest known sentence for a women’s rights activist there.
That the heavyweight title fight overshadowed her case should not surprise us. The international horror and condemnation at Jamal Khashoggi’s murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul did not last long, despite the CIA concluding that it was ordered by Mohammed bin Salman; the country’s crown prince and de facto ruler denies responsibility. Joe Biden vowed to make the country a “pariah”. But last month he bumped fists with the crown prince, for minimal noticeable return. Human rights groups warned then that the meeting would embolden the regime.
According to Riyadh, initiatives such as the new LIV Series golf tour , Olympic plans and other sporting endeavours are evidence of progress rather than reputation laundering. But the crown prince’s changes are Potemkin reform, offering a shiny new city and dance festivals in place of basic rights. When the government lifted the driving ban for women, it arrested and jailed activists who had called for it. The message is clear: freedom is at the whim of the regime. The persecution of campaigners at home and pursuit of dissidents overseas is well-known. But Ms Shehab was not a well-known dissident, and not especially vocal. Her case seems designed to shock and chill.
The Saudi national and mother of two young sons was visiting relatives when she was arrested last year. She has described suffering abuse and harassment behind bars. She was initially jailed for three years, but the appeals court this month imposed the draconian new sentence and a 34-year travel ban to follow. The foreign secretary, Liz Truss, should surely intervene in the case of a student at a British university whose only crime is to voice and share legitimate views. But despite pledging to build a “network of liberty”, Ms Truss could not name a single time that she had challenged a Gulf state about human rights when questioned by MPs in June. Mr Biden, who supposedly “received commitments” that the kingdom had taken measures to prevent shocking human rights abuses in future, should also call for Ms Shehab’s release.
Twitter, which has yet to comment on the case, should think again. Saudi Arabia has targeted the social media company’s users, while its sovereign wealth fund controls an indirect stake in it. One of the crown prince’s senior aides still has a verified account despite US government allegations that he orchestrated an illegal infiltration of the company which led anonymous users to be identified and jailed. But many more businesses, and those who support them, need to take responsibility too. The staggering amount that the kingdom has invested in tourism, sporting and other initiatives is testament to its wish to buy international approval. We do not need to grant it.
