Amnesty International has urged the English Premier League to consider Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, before signing off on the takeover of Newcastle United.

According to Amnesty International’s letter, which released on Tuesday, the Premier League “risks becoming a patsy”, unless it looks at Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, as a possible takeover of Newcastle United moves nearer.

A 300-million-pound deal is now in the hands of the League, after the Magpies owner Mike Ashley reached an agreement with a consortium backed by funds from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Amnesty has long criticized Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. The country has also been accused of ‘sportswashing’, a term used to describe countries that try to improve their international reputation by investing in major teams or hosting big sporting events.

Source: The Telegraph