Skip to main content
Amnesty accuses Ali of aiding sportswashing in Saudi Arabia
Ramla Ali during a press conference at the Shangri-La Hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL accused Ramla Ali of aiding Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing campaign yesterday, after the athlete defended her decision to fight in the kingdom she described as being a “very progressive country.”

Ali will take part in the first women’s bout to be staged in the country when she faces Crystal Garcia Nova on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s rematch against Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah tomorrow.

The British-Somali model and activist approaches the historical moment as a chance to inspire Saudi girls and women by “being part of change,” but Amnesty sees it as an example of the regime attempting to sportswash its dismal human rights record.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
Female racing driver Aseel al-Hamad celebrates the end of the ban on women drivers in 2018 with a lap of honour in a sports car. Photo: JaguarMENA/ Creative Commons
Women's Rights / 25 November 2025
25 November 2025

As Saudi Arabia is hailed abroad for its ‘reforms,’ the reality for women inside the kingdom grows ever more repressive. On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, MARYAM ALDOSSARI argues it is time to stop applauding the illusion – and start listening to the women the state works hardest to silence

 20/09/24 of Anthony Joshua
Men’s Boxing / 17 November 2025
17 November 2025
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) embracing Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after signing a joint defense pact in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 17, 2025. Photo: Saudi Press Agency via AP
Middle East / 18 September 2025
18 September 2025
A tourist with an umbrella stands on Filopappou Hill as Athens stretches out in the background, Monday, July 7, 2025, while authorities in Greece impose mandatory work stoppages in parts of the country where temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius
ROUND-UP / 7 July 2025
7 July 2025