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Hatice Cengiz wrote an open letter to the
singer published on Saturday in the Washington Post in which she
urged Bieber to cancel the performance to "send a powerful
message to the world that your name and talent will not be used
to restore the reputation of a regime that kills its critics."
President Joe Biden's administration released a U.S.
intelligence report in February implicating Saudi Arabian Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Khashoggi's 2018 murder in
Istanbul but spared him any direct punishment. The crown prince
denies any involvement.
"Do not sing for the murderers of my beloved Jamal," Cengiz
wrote. "Please speak out and condemn his killer, Mohammed bin
Salman. Your voice will be heard by millions."
Bieber, who is Canadian, is among a group of artists scheduled
to perform as Saudi Arabia hosts the Formula One Saudi Arabian
Grand Prix in Jeddah.
"If you refuse to be a pawn of MBS, your message will be loud
and clear: I do not perform for dictators. I choose justice and
freedom over money," Cengiz wrote, using the crown prince's
initials.
Human rights groups have urged the performers to speak out
against human rights issues in the kingdom.
"Saudi Arabia has a history of using celebrities and major
international events to deflect scrutiny from its pervasive
abuses," Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.
The advocacy group urged the performers, who also include rapper
A$AP Rocky, DJs David Guetta and Tiesto and singer Jason Derulo,
"to speak out publicly on rights issues or, when
reputation-laundering is the primary purpose, not participate."
Khashoggi, a Saudi-born U.S. resident who wrote opinion columns
for the Washington Post critical of the Saudi crown prince, was
killed and dismembered by a team of operatives linked to the
prince in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Will
Dunham)
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