Bayern Munich 'shameful' for playing friendly in Saudi Arabia after Raif Badawi flogging

Bayern Munich have been branded "shameful" by a German MP after the Bundesliga champions travelled to Saudi Arabia to play a friendly - days after blogger Raif Badawi received the first of 1,000 lashes in the country.

The German side played Al-Hilal on Saturday (17 January) amid rising consternation across the globe at Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes to be carried out over 20 weeks. He received the first 50 on 9 January.

Social Democratic Party MP and head of the parliamentary committee on sport, Dagmar Freitag, believes the Germans bore a social responsibility.

"Footballers don't have to be politicians but they should be aware of human rights conditions and could set examples," she said.

"Sport has a strong voice but it does not use it at the points where it makes sense and can be helpful."

Greens spokesman Özcan Mutlu went further, reported the Guardian, citing the treatment of Badawi when suggesting Bayern should have boycotted the match.

"I find this behaviour shameful. Unnecessary. There is no honour to have a friendly game in Riyadh when, so to speak, right next to the stadium the blogger Badawi is flogged 1,000 times and has his skin pulled off his back," Mutlu said.

The politicians' comments came as news emerged that Saudi authorities arrested a man who filmed a viral video of authorities publicly beheading a woman in the street.

Local reports claimed the man had been arrested but did not state what he would be charged with.