Human Rights Activists Ask Nicki Minaj to Cancel Her Concert in Angola

The Human Rights Foundation has asked Nicki Minaj to cancel a performance scheduled for Saturday in Luanda, the capital of Angola. The Southern African country has been ruled by José Eduardo dos Santos since 1979. It has a long history of human rights violations and dos Santos’ government is considered one of the most corrupt in Africa.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Thor Halvorssen, head of Human Rights Foundation, sent a letter to Minaj asking her to cancel the performance. Halvorssen writes in the letter:

Ms. Minaj, you are well known for being involved with charities such as the Get Schooled Foundation, which helps motivate young people to graduate from high school and succeed in college. If you move forward with this performance for the dictator and his family, you will be in league with the people stealing educational resources and opportunity from young Angolans.

Neither Minaj nor her camp has responded to the letter, but the organization has had success in the past. THR notes that the Human Rights Foundation criticized Hilary Swank for a paid event at the home of Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen president who has been accused of torture and murder. Swank apologized, donated her earnings to charity and fired her manager.