Following his big money signing for Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo has come under the scrutiny of human rights group Amnesty International. The international non governmental organisation has called for the the five time ballon d'or winner to speak about human rights violations in the country. Ronaldo referred to Saudi Arabia as an an amazing country prompting Amnesty International to call on the former Manchester United striker to use his celebrity status to draw attention to such issues.
Amnesty International, however, warned on Wednesday that the Portuguese signing was a textbook case of "sportwashing" by the Gulf kingdom.
Ronaldo signing part of sports washing
"Al-Nassr’s signing of Cristiano Ronaldo fits into a wider pattern of sports washing in Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo should use his considerable public platform to draw attention to human rights issues in the country." Amnesty International’s Dana Ahmed's said in a statement.
The 37-year-old was greeted by a record crowd for a player unveiling in Asia when he first entered Al Nassr's Mrssool Park stadium on Tuesday and during his first press conference for the club said: "I won everything, I played for the most important clubs in Europe and now it is a new challenge in Asia."
"It is highly likely that Saudi authorities will promote Ronaldo’s presence in the country as a means of distracting from the country’s appalling human rights record,"
“Instead of offering uncritical praise of Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo should use his considerable public platform to draw attention to human rights issues in the country. Saudi Arabia regularly executes people for crimes including murder, rape and drug smuggling Dana Ahmed added.
The 37-year-old arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday after signing a deal reportedly worth £177m a year until 2025, making him the highest-paid footballer in history.
Ronaldo said: “I had many opportunities … many clubs tried to sign me but I gave my word to this club to develop not only the football but other parts of this amazing country. I want to give a different vision of this club and country. This is why I took this opportunity.”
