Fifa handed legal papers demanding Saudi human rights reforms ahead of 2034 World Cup

Fifa risks breaching its own human rights rules by handing Saudi Arabia the World Cup in 2034, according to a legal submission filed at its Zurich HQ.

Rodney Dixon KC, whose clients include the partner of the murdered Jamal Khashoggi, is among specialists demanding urgent Saudi reform as a condition of the deal.

“We are hoping that Fifa will examine these recommendations as they provide a way of genuinely addressing the glaring human rights violations of the sole bidder for the 2034 World Cup,” Dixon told Telegraph Sport as papers were filed to Fifa.

Saudi Arabia, now the only contender to host the 2034 World Cup, will be formally confirmed as hosts later this year. The nation has invested around £5 billion in sport since 2021 as part of the Crown Prince’s diversification of the economy.

However, the Gulf kingdom is regularly accused of “sportswashing”, having been criticised for the 2018 murder of journalist Khashoggi, women’s rights abuses, the criminalisation of homosexuality and the restriction of free speech.

Professor Mark Pieth, who previously worked on policy at the governing body, is also part of a specialist group of experts now setting on a legal paper how Fifa is in line to break its own rules.

“Fifa should not permit Saudi Arabia to host the World Cup if it continues to flagrantly disregard human rights in several areas in breach of Fifa’s own policies,” the paper says.

Since controversies in previously handing hosting rights to Qatar, the governing body developed, with some input from Pieth, a 2017 human rights policy. “Fifa is committed to respecting all internationally recognised human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights,” the relevant statute says.

This policy, the authors of the new paper say, “represents a very positive step forward, but Fifa must now put it into practice”.

Requirements highlighted in the submission to Fifa include:

• “Saudi Arabia must immediately release all political prisoners and those who are arbitrarily detained, and that it must treat all prisoners in accordance with internationally recognised human rights standards”

• “The judiciary in Saudi Arabia must be appointed independently by a body not connected to the executive, and must be permitted to carry out their work without undue pressure and influence”

• Saudi Arabia “must significantly improve the protection of women’s rights through measures such as criminalising marital rape, ensuring adequate protection from domestic violence, and allowing women to be the legal guardian for their child if it is in the child’s best interests”.

Dixon told Telegraph Sport: “The world cannot pretend that they do not exist like has just happened with the Fury-Usyk fight in Saudi Arabia on the weekend. The silence was deafening about what is happening to so many women, opponents and detainees, those facing the death penalty, human rights defenders and journalists in the country. Fifa cannot fall into the same trap. Our submission seeks as a first step to provide a roadmap for respecting fundamental freedoms and upholding Fifa’s own human rights policies.”

The paper says Fifa “is urged to review and follow these recommendations as part of its consideration of Saudi Arabia’s bid in the coming months”. “It is suggested that an independent monitoring body should be established including those directly affected to oversee the implementation of these and all measures to guarantee fundamental human rights,” the paper adds.

Dixon, of Temple Garden Chambers and The Hague, Pieth, founder of Basel Institute on Governance, and Stefan Wehrenberg, attorney at law, Zurich, are the lead names on the submission.

The Saudi Government was contacted for comment.