The second annual Esports World Cup (EWC) is ongoing, bringing a fresh dose of controversy and division to esports and each participating game's respective community. The EWC is entirely funded by Saudi Arabia's public investment fund (PIF) and is a clear-cut case of sportswashing, i.e. the use of sports competitions to soften the public perception of a government.
Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses are well-documented. Saudi Arabia continues to employ the death penalty, having executed over 190 people in 2022, including 81 people in a single day (Human Rights Watch). Being LGBTQ+ is illegal in Saudi Arabia, and is punishable by death (Human Dignity Trust).
Women in Saudi Arabia are required by law to have a male guardian. Without permission from their guardian, a woman cannot obtain employment, travel, obtain a passport or undergo certain medical procedures. According to Amnesty International, women protesting this system have been detained and tortured via electrocution, flogging, hanging from the ceiling and sexual assault.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was found directly responsible for ordering the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, after an investigation by the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (The Washington Post).
There are many more documented cases...
