According to new regulations passed on Thursday, a person who has violated human rights is not permitted to be an owner or director of a Premier League football team.
According to the Global Human Rights Sanctions Rules 2020, human rights violations will be one of many extra “disqualifying incidents.” “under a tightened standard for owners and directors in England’s top division.
A person or organization subject to British government sanctions would be excluded under the new regulations, which were agreed by clubs.
Criminal offenses including violence, corruption, fraud, tax evasion, and hate crimes are now included in the list of offenses that would disqualify someone from holding public office.
Moreover, the Premier League has the authority to prevent anyone from holding the position of director while they are being investigated for behavior that might constitute a “disqualifying occurrence.” “if confirmed.
Rights organizations, notably Amnesty International, have criticized English football officials for allowing Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to finance a buyout of Newcastle despite their reservations about the nation’s human rights record.
In response to the statement on Thursday, Peter Frankental, head of economic affairs at Amnesty International UK, said: “It’s a step in the right direction that human rights and hate crimes are now being addressed.
“But, it won’t matter much until strong persons connected to grave human rights abuses abroad are categorically forbidden from acquiring ownership of Premier League teams and utilizing them for state sportswashing.”
Would a future bid incorporating Saudi or Qatari sovereign wealth funds, for example, be prevented by this regulation change? It’s not quite obvious that they would.”
The new regulations follow the British government’s announcement in February that it will establish a separate football regulatory body to monitor the financial viability of the men’s game in England.
Richard Masters, the CEO of the Premier League, cautioned against using the regulator as a “sledgehammer.” “reiterating worries voiced by certain teams.
Masters told a legislative committee on Tuesday that he was unable to comment on whether the Premier League was looking into who owned Newcastle and said, “I can’t really comment on that. I mean, even to the point of asking, “Is the Premier League looking into it?,” we can’t really comment on it.”
