Saudi Arabia's plans to acquire Newcastle are facing further human rights pressure and warnings against using the deal to whitewash the image of the Saudi regime accused of many violations.
Khadija Genghis, the fiancée of the late Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, called the Premier League to stop Saudi Arabia's acquisition of Newcastle, and the letter sent by Genghis's lawyers to the CEO of the English Premier League Football Association Richard Masters stated that the reputation of "English football in general will be distorted because of its association." Those who commit crimes and then seek to whitewash them. "
The letter appealed to the English Premier League to stop those seeking "to use English football as a way to improve their image and conceal their excesses."
She said there were "no limits" to the Saudi regime's exploitation of its influence, and recalled what the Guardian newspaper revealed earlier that British authorities had received warnings that Saudi Arabia intended to target and monitor Genghis in London, months after Khashoggi's killing at his country's consulate in Istanbul.
Media reports stated that the Saudi Investment Fund - headed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - intends to invest 300 million pounds ($ 370 million) to purchase an 80% stake in the club that participates in the Premier League.
For his part, Saudi dissident Ali Al-Ahmad wrote an article in the "Independent" newspaper in which he confirmed that Newcastle will be involved in the event of completion of the deal, and indicated that the human rights record for Saudi Arabia will bring trouble to the English league that is not comparable to the value of the investment that will benefit from it.
Last week, Amnesty International expressed its concerns to the English Football Association (Premier League) because of Saudi Arabia's human rights record, and Kate Allen, director of the UK branch of Amnesty International, said there were "serious questions" that the English Premier League should deal with regarding the deal. .
On the other hand, the British newspaper Mirror revealed that American businessman Henry Morris is preparing to submit a bid for the acquisition of Newcastle for 350 million pounds (about 430 million dollars).
The newspaper pointed out that Morris, who has investments in the media, had been negotiating since last year with the current owner of Newcastle club Mike Ashley.
She confirmed that Morris is seeking to re-try Liverpool FC, which returned to the forefront after US investors acquired it in 2010, and dreams of leading Newcastle to return to competition for titles domestically and abroad.