Slaughtered dissident Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancée is urging pop sensation Justin Bieber to nix his concert in Saudi Arabia next month, reports the AP. Hatice Cengiz, who was engaged to Jamal Khashoggi, penned an open letter in The Washington Post pleading for the singer 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.” Cengiz was waiting for her husband-to-be at the Saudi consulate on Oct. 2, 2018, when 15 Saudi government agents restrained and then murdered him. His body was never found. A U.S. intelligence assessment later determined Khashoggi’s murder was approved by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, though he has denied any such involvement.
Bieber is set to perform on Dec. 5 in the Red Sea of Jiddah in the kingdom’s Formula One race alongside other heavy hitters, like rapper A$AP Rocky, DJs David Guetta and Tiesto, and singer Jason Derulo. Human Rights Watch also urges Bieber and other performers to drop out, alleging that the flashy performances are distractions from the kingdom’s blatant human rights abuses.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect that Cengiz was Khashoggi’s fiancée, not his widow.
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