‘Torture’ – Newcastle politicians write to Saudi over man’s execution for alleged crimes as a child
A dozen lawmakers from Newcastle have written to Saudi authorities regarding a man’s death for suspected childhood offenses.
Since a group led by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquired Newcastle United in 2021, activists have been putting constant pressure on city officials to address human rights violations in the Gulf state.
Growing ties between Tyneside and Saudi Arabia, according to activists, have caused the city’s reputation to be “dragged through the mud,” with council leaders eager to encourage investment from the country.
As part of a campaign to get Abdullah al-Derazi’s sentence overturned, it has now been reported that twelve Newcastle council members recently wrote to both the Saudi embassy and the Saudi king.
Former city council leader Nick Kemp, Liberal Democrats Greg Stone and Philip Browne, Newcastle Green Party leader Nick Hartley, and Newcastle Independents leader Tracey Mitchell were among those who signed it.
They wrote, “We are deeply concerned by the court’s decision to sentence Abdullah al-Derazi to the death penalty for alleged offenses during protests in 2011-2012, when he was still a child,” pleading with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to overturn the judgment. We are dedicated to defending human rights.
We write from Newcastle, a city in the United Kingdom with close relations to Saudi Arabia. These connections impose a need to speak up when fundamental rights are at jeopardy.
Whether in Saudi Arabia or the United Kingdom, a child is a child. Your Human Rights Commission has pledged to abolish the death sentence for juvenile offenders, and your Royal Decree to that effect has received international acclaim.
“We are concerned about reports that Mr. al-Derazi’s trial was egregiously unfair, including the conviction based on a confession purportedly obtained through torture, the improper notification of his family or attorneys, and the existence of significant procedural flaws.”
Human rights advocates urged Tyneside officials to keep a careful eye on “any use of the city and region as a sportswashing vehicle” during a meeting with city council leader Karen Kilgour earlier this year.
Although she has denounced violations of human rights in Saudi Arabia, she has consistently maintained that the UK government should advocate on this matter rather than a local council.
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