The undersigned organisations condemn the arrest and prosecution of supporters of Al Safa Football Club (Al Safa FC) under Saudi Arabia’s notorious Anti-Cybercrime Law for chants at a recent match, which the authorities deemed “sectarian”. This act of repression – curtailing the right to free speech in football stadiums, at a time when the authorities are investing heavily to promote sport and tourism – highlights the appalling discrepancy between the actions of the Saudi authorities and its official narrative of liberalisation.
