For yelling during games, twelve Saudi Arabian football supporters might be fined three million riyals (£633,000) and go to jail for up to five years. Trial proceedings have begun after the Saudi Ministry of Sport charged Al Safa’s fans with expressions of sectarianism. Initially, after footage of fans singing during games went viral on social media, more than 150 people were taken in for interrogation. The accused parties were taken into custody.
Background of the issue
Twelve supporters of football Saudi Arabian officials who sang a traditional chant during a football game in January honoring Imam Ali, a personage highly regarded by Shia Muslims, risk five years in prison. The footage of the performance was posted on social media. The supporters are part of the Al Safa Football Club, a team headquartered in Sawa City in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia that plays in the country’s second level. The dozen fans were among the first 150 persons to be called in and interrogated in early February, following the game on January 24. Security personnel used the fear of incarceration to coerce those who had been called in for interrogations to sign paperwork admitting that they had “recited sectarian phrases.” Eight other civil society organizations vehemently denounced the arrest and prosecution of the twelve football fans in a joint statement released.
Cases highlighting the issue
The Anti-Cybercrime Law of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which forbids the “production, preparation, transmission, or storage of material impinging on public order, religious values, public morals, and privacy, through the information network or computers,” has led to the Saudi authorities charging the 12 people.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has imposed disciplinary penalties against Al Safa in addition to the allegations brought by the 12, citing fan chants that “violated the provisions of the disciplinary and ethics regulations.” In addition to facing a punishment of 200,000 Saudi Arabian Riyals, or around £42,000, the club must play its next five home games behind closed doors. The arrest of these football supporters is the most recent dramatic example of the Saudi authorities’ huge assault on freedom of speech, which is taking place at a time when they are spending billions on sports washing and image laundering worldwide.
Criticism and backlash
The right of a minority religious community to share their religious folklore was being exercised. The 12 fans must be freed right away, and the irrational accusations against them must be dropped by the Saudi authorities. The World Cup 2034 is presently up for grabs, and Saudi Arabia is the only country vying to host it. This case emphasizes the grave dangers that football fans face since they might be charged with a crime for just using their right to free speech. The verdict in this case should be closely watched by football lovers everywhere. People must be able to express themselves freely in Saudi Arabia without worrying about retaliation or punishment. Members of the Shia Muslim community, the biggest religious minority in Saudi Arabia and making about 15% of the population, have frequently faced legal action for their political rallies, which have included calls for equal rights. Suppressing dissent, courts have used the death penalty and long jail terms as a political tool against the Shias.
Implications for free speech
The Saudi government has consistently suppressed the rights to freedom of speech, conscience, and religion by enforcing the nation’s Anti-Cybercrime Law and other restrictions. People who peacefully voice their opinions about a variety of social topics, such as promoting women’s rights, have been labeled as dangers to national security. The legislation criminalizes actions that are protected by international law, such as “blasphemy” and “apostasy” regulations, and it does not safeguard freedom of religion or conscience.
Al Safa fans were fined $53,300 and banned from attending any more league games by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) for reciting “phrases and chants that violated the provisions of the disciplinary and ethics regulations.” The ministry would be “depriving violators of membership in the club or any other clubs, and referring them to the relevant authorities to take the necessary action,” according to the statement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, ALQST, a non-governmental organization, states that “the Public Prosecution is calling for sentences of up to five years in prison and fines of up to three million riyals ($800,000), confiscation of the defendants’ phones, and closure of their phone and social media accounts as articulated in Article 6 of the Anti-Cybercrime Law, in addition to further harsh punishment at the judge’s discretion.”