Announcing the 2012 International Religious Freedom Report:  Secretary of State John Kerry released the 2012 International Religious Freedom Report at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, May 20, 2013, at the U.S. Department of State.  Read report in English

Australian man detained on terrorisim charges in Saudi Arabia  Updated 2 May 2013, 22:37 AEST  ABC RADIO – AUSTRALIA  The Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr has defended his department’s handling of the case of an Australian man accused of terror offences in Saudi Arabia.  Australian man detained on terrorisim charges in Saudi Arabia (Credit: ABC)   Shayden Jamil Thorne has been in detention since 2011 after Saudi authorities allegedly found terrorism-related material on his laptop.  He says the laptop was borrowed from a mosque and has denied the charges.  His brother, Julaid Thorne, has been arrested for protesting his brother’s detention and last night told the ABC his passport had been confiscated by authorities.  Interview with Ibrahim Almugaiteeb:  Anna Hipsley spoke to Ibrahim al-Mugaiteeb, a human rights lawyer based in Saudi Arabia and the founder and President of the Human Rights First Society, an organisation that remains unlicensed by Saudi Arabia 12 years after it was established.  Listen to interview 

Three of the four founders of Union for Human Rights – a new NGO in SA. (photo courtesy of Amnesty International)

Saudi Arabia moves to stamp out new human rights NGO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 1 May 2013 Four founding members of a nascent human rights group in Saudi Arabia have been interrogated and intimidated in their attempt to get their organization off the ground, Amnesty International said.  In recent days, the four men who founded the independent Union for Human Rights in late March have been called in for questioning by the Saudi Arabian authorities. They remain at risk of being detained at any time.  More …

Ibrahim Almugaiteeb, President of Human Rights First Society – SA

Many Saudi dissidents are intimidated into silence – Interview with Ibrahim Almugaiteeb, a veteran human rights activist in Saudi Arabia and President of Human Rights First Society, SA.   Jørgen Lohne, Aftenposten’s Middle East Correspondent Published: 29.apr. 2013 3:52 p.m. Updated: 29.apr. 2013 3:52 p.m.  More…

REFORMISTS KEPT IN PRISON  AMNESTY URGENT ACTION (UA: 107/13 Index: MDE 23/014/2013 Saudi Arabia)  April 24, 2013 Six reformist prisoners of conscience have been kept behind bars, while 10 others, several of whom were out on bail, are now released under a “pardon” on condition that they give up their activism.  Ten men were released under a royal “pardon” in January, but only if they signed a pledge not to repeat their offences or engage in public activism, and thanked the King. Six others held with them and not released are prisoners of conscience: Dr Suliaman al-Rashudi, Dr Saud al-Hashimi, Dr Musa al-Qirni, Abdul Rahman al- Shumayri,  Abdul Rahman Khan and Abdullah al-Rifa’i.  At least two of these men are understood to have been offered the same conditional release but rejected it.  More…

HRW   APRIL 20, 2013  Saudi Arabia: End Prosecution of Human Rights Lawyer: Prominent Advocate Faces Prison for ‘Offending the Judiciary’    (Beirut) – Saudi authorities should immediately halt the 18-month prosecution of a Jeddah-based human rights lawyer. The charges against Walid Abu al-Khair, which include “offending the judiciary” and “attempting to distort the reputation of the kingdom,” are based solely on the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said.  More… Arabic   English

 HRW  April 12, 2013  Saudi Arabia: Huge Obstacles for First Woman Lawyer  Need Protection From Discrimination, End to Guardianship Restrictions  (Beirut, April 12, 2013) – Saudi authorities need to lift the many obstacles facing the first woman to train as a lawyer in Saudi Arabia before she can enter the profession on an equal basis with men, Human Rights Watch said today.  More…

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL  PUBLIC STATEMENT  10 April 2013  Saudi Arabia: 2013 promises to be a dark year for freedom of expression and of association  During the first quarter of 2013, the Saudi Arabian authorities have resorted to additional measures to augment  those  they have previously used to repress freedom of expression and of association.  Amnesty International is calling on the Saudi Arabian authorities to end such repressive practices and to allow all individuals in Saudi Arabia to peacefully exercise these rights.  More…   in Arabic   in English

Saudi Arabia punishes two activists for voicing opinion  Amnesty International  11 March 2013  

Mohammad al Qahtani

The sentencing of two human rights activists to five and 10 years’ imprisonment in Saudi Arabia is yet another stain on the country’s record when it comes to attacking free expression, Amnesty International said today as it named the activists “prisoners of conscience”.

Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid

Dr Abdullah bin Hamid bin Ali al-Hamid, 66, and Mohammad bin Fahad bin Muflih al-Qahtani, 47, co-founders of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), a human rights organization that helps many families of detainees held without charge or trial, were sentenced to five and 10 years in prison respectively.

Travel bans equal in length to their terms of imprisonment will also be applied to them after they finish serving their prison sentences.

The court also ordered the disbanding of the organization, confiscation of its property and the shutting down of its social media accounts.  More…