FIFA faces complaints over 2034 World Cup

A group of leading international lawyers has filed a formal complaint with FIFA, accusing the organization of violating its own human rights policy in awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia.

The 30-page complaint was filed through FIFA's complaints mechanism by a team of lawyers including former FIFA anti-corruption adviser Mark Pieth, Swiss lawyer Stefan Wehrenberg and British lawyer Rodney Dixon.

According to The Guardian , the group of lawyers stated that the bidding process did not meet human rights standards and that FIFA was obliged to follow its policies. The complaint argued that the bidding process did not "comply with FIFA's human rights standards".

FIFA awards 2034 World Cup hosting rights to Saudi Arabia

The complaint highlights five areas that require urgent action: freedom of expression and voting; arbitrary detention and the death penalty; judicial independence; migrant workers’ rights; and women’s rights. The group of lawyers calls on FIFA to develop a concrete, transparent action plan with effective monitoring mechanisms, rather than leaving it up to Saudi Arabia to implement.

The incident comes as FIFA faces criticism over the treatment of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. Reports from Human Rights Watch and FairSquare have warned of the serious risks faced by migrant workers working on large-scale construction projects in Saudi Arabia, and a lack of transparency regarding work-related deaths.

In response to the complaint, FIFA said it was working closely with its Saudi Arabian counterparts and international labor organizations to improve worker protection standards.

At the 2022 World Cup, host Qatar also faced similar criticism as Saudi Arabia.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/fifa-bi-khieu-nai-lien-quan-den-world-cup-2034-196250519174928154.htm