Newcastle takeover: Second human rights group contact Premier League and FA to call for Saudi Arabia consortium to be ‘disqualified’

Fair/Square Projects offer expert briefing to the Premier League on crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and others involved in the takeover of Newcastle United after claiming they fail the Owners’ and Directors’ Test

Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is the chairman of Public Investment Fund, who have agreed to buy Newcastle (Getty)

Human rights group Fair/Square Projects have offered an expert briefing to the Premier League on Newcastle United’s takeover, and expressed their opposition to the deal in a letter to the competition as well as the Football Association.

The document states that “there is a compelling body of evidence that any consortium linked to the Saudi Arabian government should be disqualified from ownership of any Premier League club”.

It also argues that the bid contravenes two regulations in the Owners’ and Directors’ Test, based on the conduct of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), as well the potential influence on two other clubs through his “close ties” with UAE crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour, as well as Saudi Arabian prince Abdullah bin Musa'ad bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud’s ownership of Sheffield United.

The letter urges the Premier League to use a “progressive interpretation” of the test, that “should reflect changing conditions and the object and purpose of those regulations”.

Fair/Square also point out that they will be writing to parliamentarians, but caution the Premier League against solely taking government advice due to the British government’s “strategic alliance” with Saudi Arabia and how “it has historically prioritised defence and commercial ties with the Kingdom over human rights and the rule of law”.

Fair/Square have also offered to coordinate an expert private briefing for the Premier league and the FA.

The proposal puts further pressure on the Premier League over the takeover, after a similar letter from Amnesty International, and a complaint from Bein Sports over broadcasting rights, due to the Saudi Arabian pirate station BeoutQ.

All the necessary paperwork has been submitted for the purchase, which would see Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) - which is chaired by MBS - own 80 per cent of the club. The takeover now just needs to pass the Owners’ and Directors’ Test, which has seen Fair/Square offer their assessment as to why it should fail.

The group are a not-for-profit company who work with various companies to prevent human rights abuses, and were consulted by Fifa to develop the global body’s human rights policy, as well as Liverpool for their recent trip to Qatar. Directors James Lynch and Nicholas McGeehan on Thursday signed a letter to both Premier League chief executive Richard Masters and his FA counterpart Mark Bullingham.

The main argument reads: “Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the chairman of the Public Investment Fund, presents a demonstrable threat to the vitality, integrity and reputation of the English game and to the future of Newcastle United. We would encourage the Premier League to take this opportunity to outline a clear position in this regard, and one that prevents governments from taking control of English football clubs and running them for political ends.”

The letter goes on to cite two clauses of the Owners’ and Directors’ Test.

“We believe that the Newcastle takeover bid fails the Premier League Owners’ and Directors’ Test on two grounds: under paragraph F1.6 in relation to the conduct of Mohammed bin Salman; and secondly under paragraph F1.2, in relation to the ability of any Saudi-government backed entity’s ‘power to determine or influence the management or administration of another club’,” the letter reads. “We encourage the Premier League to interpret the Owners’ and Directors’ Test in line with their object and purpose as laid out by the Football Association’s guidance in this matter: ‘Those holding positions of responsibility at clubs are required to meet obligations placed on them under the law.”

As regards the “conduct of Mohammed bin Salman, the letter states “there is a voluminous body of highly-credible evidence that supports the position not only that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is dishonest but that he has engaged in conduct that falls well below that subjective threshold”. It goes on to lay out how the United States senate adopted a resolution holding him “responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi”.

Mohammed bin Salman has denied ordering the murder of Saudi journalist Khashoggi, though admitted last September: “I take full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia, especially since it was committed by individuals working for the Saudi government.”

Fair/Share Project have called on the Premier League to block the Saudi takeover (AFP/Getty)

The letter then references F 1.2 of the test, and “the power to determine or influence the management or administration of another club”.

“The owner of Sheffield United, Abdullah bin Musa'ad bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, is a Saudi Arabian prince and businessman. If Public Investment Fund has a meaningful involvement in Newcastle United, it will mean owners of that club having the power to determine and influence the management of Sheffield United. As the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wields vast and largely unaccountable power within the Kingdom.”

The letter references the alliance with Abu Dhabi.

“Under the control and leadership of Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been allies and partners in the Saudi-led war on Yemen, which has led to credible allegations of war crimes including by UN investigation teams, the military coup that deposed the government of Mohamed Morsi in Egypt and installed General Abdel Fatteh Al-Sisi, and the blockade of their Gulf neighbour Qatar. We believe it should be of significant concern to the Premier League that 7 two of its most prominent clubs could, if this deal is allowed to pass, be run by unelected monarchs who pursue their shared strategic interests in tandem and often with seriously harmful consequences.”

The Independent is attempting to contact Mohammed bin Salman, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nayhan, Abdullah bin Musa'ad bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud and Public Investment Fund for comment.