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Sport and human rights

Human rights have a vital role to play in sport that is often overlooked. From fighting racism, sexism and homophobia to standing up for the rights of the workers building stadiums, sport and human rights are intrinsically linked.

We campaign around major sporting events like the Olympics and the World Cup to raise awareness of human rights abuses either in the host country, in the countries taking part or the event's sponsors.

Article

Campaign lowdown: Sport and human rights

Human rights have a vital role to play in sport that is often overlooked. From fighting racism, sexism and homophobia to standing up for the rights of the workers building stadiums, sport and human rights are intrinsically linked.

We campaign around major sporting events like the Olympics and the World Cup to raise awareness of human rights abuses.
Blog

Brazil, the world is watching

On news channels, police are beating protesters on the streets of São Paulo. On sports channels, the world's biggest football competition is kicking off in cities across Brazil.
All eyes are on the Fifa World Cup. What would happen if the Brazilian police force were refereeing the World Cup the way they have refereed recent protests?
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Brazil: Protect the right to protest

Basic freedoms are under threat in Brazil. Mass protests have led to ill-equipped police using unnecessary force on civilians. We're calling on Brazil not to turn the beautiful game ugly, and respect human rights for all.
Israel

UK: Airbnb using Commonwealth Games to sportswash its reputation

Amnesty International is calling on the organisers of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham to conduct a “health check” on all of the event’s corporate partners, with Amnesty saying that the US letting company Airbnb is using the event to try to “sportswash its image”.
Qatar

Qatar: FIFA should set aside $440m for World Cup workers compensation fund

FIFA should set aside at least $440 million for the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who have suffered human rights abuses in Qatar during preparations for this year’s World Cup, Amnesty International said in a new report.
Saudi Arabia

UK: sportswashing issues unresolved as Newcastle prepare for first game after Saudi takeover

Amnesty comments ahead of Newcastle United Football Club’s first Premier League game since the club’s controversial takeover by a Saudi-led consortium.
Qatar

Qatar: thousands of migrant worker deaths remain uninvestigated – new report

The Qatari authorities have failed to investigate the deaths of thousands of migrant workers over the past decade despite evidence of links between premature deaths and unsafe, searingly-hot working conditions.

Belarus: Lukashenko makes sport a 'battleground' for athletes who dare to speak out against government

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya among many athletes in Belarus facing reprisals from the government
Qatar

Qatar: fears grow for detained labour activist

The Qatari authorities must urgently reveal the whereabouts of Malcolm Bidali, a Kenyan national who has been forcibly disappeared since 4 May, when he was taken from his labour accommodation for questioning by the state security service.
Saudi Arabia

Newcastle United deal was always 'blatant' Saudi sportswashing

Response to news that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and Reuben Brothers have withdrawn from the process to buy Newcastle United Football Club.
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Lina al-Hathloul calls for UK Government to help jailed sister Loujain

The sister of a jailed Saudi women rights campaigner has called on the UK Government to use its “power and influence” to help secure the human rights defender’s release.
Qatar

Qatar: 100 World Cup stadium workers not paid for up to seven months

Migrant workers employed on a construction project for a FIFA World Cup stadium in Qatar worked for up to seven months without pay.
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: 'heartbreaking' two-year anniversary of jailed women's rights activists

Amnesty International has called on Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz to release prominent women’s rights defenders - two years after they were detained - describing their ongoing plight as “heartbreaking”.
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia wants to do this deal with the Premier League as a PR tool to help cover up its abysmal human rights record.

Life is simply better when supporting Newcastle is a joy and not a chore. But as Bobby Robson reminds us, football is not just about winning trophies - it’s also about meaning something.
Saudi Arabia

UK: Premier League must consider Saudi human rights situation in Newcastle United deal

Amnesty International has written to the Chief Executive of the football Premier League, Richard Masters, raising concerns about the purchase of Newcastle United football club by a consortium of buyers including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Article

Russia 2018: Why human rights matter at the World Cup

Human rights have taken a significant nose-dive in Russia in recent years, making it impossible to ignore the rampant human rights violations happening in the host country of the 21st FIFA World Cup.
Good news

Team Refugees make history at Rio 2016

This summer, for the first time ever, ten refugee athletes competed on the world’s stage at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Blog

Mo Farah’s double double: Bringing us all closer together

Mo Farah's done it and arguably just become the UK’s greatest ever Olympian. Amidst the celebration, we reflect on the joy and pride this sporting achievement has brought and the need to remember that our country's success is never in isolation.
Blog

Running or swimming for your life

The spotlight on the world’s greatest athletes can also be used to shine a light on human rights. For the first time in the history of the Olympics, 10 refugees are competing without a national team.
Blog

Has Brazil lost, before the Olympics have begun?

The Olympic Games brought promises of change, structural transformation and better lives for the people living in the favelas of host city Rio de Janiero. In stark contrast, police shootings of civilians are up and the city's Governor has declared a state of emergency.
Article

The deadly side of the Rio 2016 Olympics

Rio de Janeiro will soon be home to the Olympic Games 2016. But there's a darker side to the glitz and glamour of this year’s host nation. One in five people killed in Rio died as a result from police interventions in 2015. The majority were young, black men.