Lionel Messi

The fashionable assist between Dolce&Gabbana and Leo Messi is a further testament to the brand’s commitment to the world of sport

“In providing PR services to Gabon's Bongo family, Lionel Messi has seriously undermined the credibility of his own charitable foundation,” said Human Rights Foundation president Thor Halvorssen. "Whereas Messi claims to support children's rights, and even serves as a UNICEF ambassador to promote youth education, he has endorsed a kleptocratic regime that refuses to investigate the ritual murder of children in Gabon,” said Halvorssen.

In a phenomenon well-documented by local media and civil society groups, each year children in Gabon are murdered and their organs are harvested for human consumption. These crimes go unsolved, and reportedly increase during election years. Local activists have accused the Bongo government of being behind the murders. Leading rights advocate and Brainforest founder Marc Ona Essangui alleges that politicians eat the eyes, lips, and sexual parts of child victims to increase their power.

Messi's visit was broadcast by Gabonese state television and used as internal propaganda by the dictatorship. A series of photos and updates were also shared online. Messi's junket included a visit to a state-owned hospital and an inauguration event for a restaurant owned by the dictator's family.

"Messi's trip is part of the Bongo family's PR campaign to promote the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, which Gabon will host at enormous expense despite the fact that the Bongo family's embezzlement has left 20% of the population to live on less than $2 per day," said Halvorssen.