Justin Bieber performs at F1 in Saudia Arabia amid human rights abuse fiasco in the country

After receiving heavy criticism about his anticipated performance at the F1, pop star Justin Bieber took to the stage to perform at the Grand Prix race in Saudi Arabia this weekend. If you didn’t know, the country has been in the news and being called out over human rights abuse, with many people blasting F1’s decision to hold races in Saudi Arabia in the first place.

Days before the performance, a widowed fiancee of a late journalist wrote an open letter for The Washington Post titled, “Please, Justin Bieber, don’t perform for the regime that killed my fiance.” Her letter said: “A little over three years ago, my fiance, the journalist and Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi, walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul believing he was going to pick up some documents needed for our upcoming wedding. He was instead murdered inside the consulate by operatives acting on the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” began Jamal Khashoggi.

She continued, “His brutal murder made headlines all over the world. Ever since, many human rights organizations and individuals, including myself, have been calling for justice and accountability. That’s why I am writing to you with a plea: Cancel your Dec. 5 performance in Saudi Arabia. This is a unique opportunity 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.”

Despite the moving words of Khashoggi in The Washington Post and pleas from fans to cancel the performance, Justin went ahead with his performance. What’s more is Bieber’s wife Hailey was also spotted in Saudi Arabia over the weekend.