As part of the participation in the 43rd regular session of the Human Rights Council, Geneva Council for Rights and Liberties delivered a joint statement with the International Institute for rights and development under agenda item 4 {Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention}. The statement made by the GCRL Vice-president, Ms Gulnoz Saydaminova, drew the attention of the Council to the restrictive policies and violations of human rights and freedoms by Saudi Arabia. Particularly, the right to freedom of expression, of association and assembly, right to vote, freedom of movement and travel without the guardianship of the husband.
Furthermore, the statement expressed our grave concern about the recent campaign of arbitrary detentions and the ongoing repression in the country against human rights defenders and peaceful critics, and the recent arrests campaign that touched the members of royal family.
Full statement:
43rd Session of the Human Rights Council
Agenda item 4
General debate : Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention
This is a joint statement for the international institute for rights and development with the Geneva Council for Rights and Liberties
Dear Madame President,
We would like to draw the attention of the Council to the restrictive policies implemented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and violations of human rights and freedoms. Particularly, the right to freedom of expression, of association and assembly, right to vote, freedom of movement and travel without the guardianship of the husband.
We express our grave concern over the recent campaign of arbitrary detentions and the ongoing repression in the country against human rights defenders and peaceful critics. These detentions are deliberate and without any legal basis accompanied by silence of the Saudi authorities. The widespread and systematic arbitrary arrests and torture of activists, human rights defenders, including those fighting for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia, and persons who criticize the ruling authority as well as the collective arrests of a large number of intellectuals and scholars, most of whom suffer from abuse and torture through medical neglect is despicable. Moreover, the Saudi authorities continue to arrest and detain foreign workers and deport them to countries where they are at risk of torture, cruel treatment and human rights violations.
Since September 2017 until now, more than 200 persons described as religious scholars have been subjected to arbitrary detention and most of them still remain in detention. Recently, allegedly the Saudi authorities arrested also members of royal family, namely, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, brother of King Salman, and Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, the former crown prince.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains to be subject to international criticism. In March last year, 36 member states of the United Nations, led by Iceland, expressed grave concern about the current human rights situation in Saudi Arabia which is an unprecedented large-scale condemnation of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record at the United Nations Human Rights Council. The the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the world during this session also confirmed human rights violations in the Kingdom.
We call for respect of human rights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For release of all political prisoners. To stop arbitrary detention of activists and politicians.
Thank you.
