Amnesty International has suggested the collapse of Newcastle United's Saudi-backed takeover will be seen as a "sign" that human rights defenders have not been completely disregarded.
A proposed £300 million ($390m) purchase of the Premier League club, backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) whose chairman is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had been ongoing for several months.
The prospective new owners pulled out of a deal on Thursday, owing largely to the protracted nature of negotiations, which combined with the coronavirus pandemic had made the investment "no longer commercially viable".
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There had been strong opposition to the deal from human rights campaigners concerned about Saudi Arabia's welfare practices.