Amnesty International asks Arsenal to support Ozil and allow him "to freely express his opinions"
Wednesday 18 December 2019 08:18, UK
The United States secretary of state Mike Pompeo has come out in support of Arsenal's Mesut Ozil in his war of words with China.
The Germany international has been all-but wiped from the Chinese internet and the country is not showing Arsenal games on TV after Ozil criticised their treatment of a Muslim minority in the country.
The Gunners have distanced themselves from the row and Yaya Toure has urged the struggling player to stick to football, but Amnesty International have defended his right to free speech and now one of Donald Trump's closest colleagues has waded into the row.
Pompeo tweeted on Tueaday: "China's Communist Party propaganda outlets can censor Mesut Ozil and Arsenal games all season long, but the truth will prevail.
"The CCP can't hide its gross human rights violations perpetrated against Uighurs and other religious faiths from the world."
China's foreign ministry spokesman has said Ozil, who is a Muslim of Turkish descent, has been deceived by "fake news", after he called the Uighur Muslims in China "warriors who resist persecution".
But Amnesty International regional director Nicholas Bequelin says it is essential Arsenal do not succumb to any potential pressure.
He said: "With their player being quite heavily criticised by some in China, it's important that Arsenal doesn't buckle under pressure and attempt to stifle Ozil's right to freely express his opinions."
Ex-Manchester City midfielder Toure, who has just finished a brief stint playing in China, said: "Footballers have to stay with football and politicians to politics because you cannot be involved with this kind of things, because it's going to attract a lot of problems.
"As a Muslim, it is complicated and it is his choice. He's been doing his comments but I think he was wrong to say that."
