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HRW NEWS: Saudi Arabia: Drop Charges for Publicizing Bureaucratic Failures – Blogging About Quest to Treat Comatose Brother Could Land Man in Jail March 10, 2010 (New York) – Saudi Arabia’s Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecutions should immediately drop “cybercrimes” charges against Nasir al-Subai’i for writing about his bureaucratic ordeal as he tried to get the government to pay for his brother’s medical care, Human Rights Watch said today. “Saudi prosecutors are trying to silence legitimate complaints, which Saudi citizens have the right to make public,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Public criticism of the government’s alleged failures are an important check on its performance and a good tool for accountability.” More in English … in Arabic
Stop Execution of Iraqi Man in Saudi Arabia March 11, 2010 Iraqi national Mohammad Abdul Amir has been scheduled for execution on 13 March in the town of Arar, near Saudi Arabia’s border with Iraq. He was found guilty of murder around 1995 after being tortured in order to force him to confess. The King has the power to halt the execution. Mohammad Abdul Amir, a 35-year-old Iraqi man with children, was arrested in 1995 and charged with the murder of a Saudi Arabian man. He confessed to the crime after being interrogated for three months, during which he was allegedly beaten and suspended by his feet. During the interrogations, he is reported to have sustained a broken rib as a result of torture and was hospitalized for a month. A criminal court in Arar sentenced him to death after a summary and secret trial. He has not been allowed any access to lawyers or other legal assistance. More. . .
Disappearance of Jordanian national in Saudi Arabia in September 2009 Letter to Saudi Human Rights Commissioner seeking assistance in locating Zuhair Jamal Hamdan Hamdan March 9, 2010 Human Rights Watch has written to H.E. Dr. Bandar al-‘Iban, Chairman of the (Saudi Arabian) Human Rights Commission requesting assistance in determining the whereabouts of Jordanian national Zuhair Jamal Hamdan Hamdan, whom eyewitnesses say was last seen in the custody of Saudi border guards at the Quraiyat land border crossing between Jordan and Saudi Arabia on September 19, 2009. He has been missing without a trace since then. Human Rights Watch has learned that the Saudi authorities informed the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs around January 23, 2010 that they have no knowledge of Hamdan’s whereabouts. The HRC is urged to press for an investigation of the whereabouts of Hamdan and to provide the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Hamdan’s family detailed information on the process and results of this investigation. More… in Arabic
Human Rights First Society (HRFS) serves a very important function working as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Saudi Arabia to monitor reported human rights abuses and advocate for the victims. HRFS uses all peaceful means to advocate that the Saudi government respects and defends all human rights. More…
Human Rights First Society (HRFS) has two Websites Arabic Site: http://www.anhri.net/saudi/spdhr/ English site: http://hrfssaudiarabia.org/
HRFS Official Arabic Website http://www.anhri.net/saudi/spdhr/ Blocked in Saudi Arabia. HRFS statements, positions on different HR issues and events in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere are part of this website. This web page, which is hosted by our colleagues ANHRI in Cairo, has been blocked in Saudi Arabia since 2003.
HRFS Statements and Letters regarding SA and International Human Rights Issues may be found at HRFS Statements.
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Saudi Arabia U.S. BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR March 11, 2010 The U.S. State Department’s annual report on human rights world-wide issued March 11, 2010. The Saudi section of this human rights report is about 32 pages long. HRFS is cited in the Freedom of Association section as follows: At year’s end, the government had not licensed the Human Rights First Society (HRFS), whose founder, Ibrahim al-Mugaiteeb, applied for a license in 2002. The government continued to permit its informal operation, but as the group is formally “unlicensed,” it remained unclear which activities were permitted and which could draw government criticism or punishment. Without a license the group may not raise operating funds, which severely limited its activities. More…
Human Rights Watch News: Saudi Arabia: Free Woman Who Sought Court Aid For Harassment Complaint Made Without “Male Guardian:” 300 Lashes, 1 ½ Years in Jail March 2, 2010 (Beirut) – Saudi Arabia’s authorities should quash the January, 2010, verdict of a court that sentenced a woman to 300 lashes and one and a half years in prison for filing harassment complaints without the required accompaniment by a male guardian, and release her from jail, Human Rights Watch said today. Sawsan Salim was sentenced on charges of making “spurious complaints” against government officials and for “appearing … without a male guardian” in court. The verdict reflects the discriminatory system of male guardianship in Saudi Arabia, in which women are prohibited from many acts without the presence of a male guardian. “In Saudi Arabia, being a woman going about her legitimate business without a man’s protection is apparently a crime,” said Nadya Khalife, women’s rights researcher for the Middle East at Human Rights Watch. “The government needs to free Sawsan Salim and keep its promise to end this discriminatory system.” More… More in Arabic…
Human Rights Watch Country Report on Saudi Arabia – Events of 2009 : Issued January 2010 Human rights conditions remain poor in Saudi Arabia. In February 2009 King Abdullah replaced conservatives in the religious establishment, judiciary, and education system with more progressive-minded officials, but domestic and international pressure to improve human rights practices is feeble. Authorities continue to systematically suppress, or fail to protect, the rights of fourteen million Saudi women and girls, eight million foreign workers, and some two million Shia. Thousands of people have received unfair trials or were subject to arbitrary detention. Curbs on freedom of association, expression, and movement, as well as a pervasive lack of official accountability, remain serious concerns. In May the government cancelled scheduled municipal elections. More… in English in Arabic
The Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association Calls for Immediate Release of Human Rights Activist: Thamer Abdulkareem Al-Khather Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (March 7, 2010) The Department of General Investigation (DGI) in Qassim (300 km North of the Saudi capital, Riyadh) arrested human rights activist, Thamer Abdulkareem Al-Khather, at 11PM on Wednesday March 3, 2010. Thamer Al-Khather is a university student interested in human rights and public affairs, an advocate of prisoners’ rights, and he is a member of the youth movement that calls for a constitutional reform. Thamer’s arrest sends the wrong message to young Saudis who are beginning to realize the importance of human rights approach and peaceful course of actions for change, as an alternative to violence and extremism. The repressive security Forces, however, do not differentiate between violence and peaceful action. ACPRA would like to declare that the arrest of Thamer Al-Kather is an arbitrary detention contrary to local regulations and a clear violation of international law. Hence, ACPRA calls for his immediate release, with no further restriction or requirement. More… in English in Arabic
4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty 22 February 2010 The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its affiliated leagues welcome the opening this Wednesday, of the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty, to be held in Geneva February 24th to 26th, 2010. Aiming to discuss and elaborate national and international strategies for the universal abolition of death penalty, the Congress constitutes a further step towards the enforcement of the global abolitionist movement. More…
Kuwait: Critical Opinions Unwelcome Political and Religious Thinkers Barred from Entering Kuwait HRW News Release February 18, 2010(New York) – Kuwaiti authorities should cease denying entry to visiting speakers solely on the basis of their opinions, Human Rights Watch said today. The Interior Ministry has barred two prominent scholars – a Saudi cultural anthropologist and an Egyptian theologian – as well as a Saudi religious figure from entering the country in the past three months. The government has given no official reason for refusing to let the three speakers enter the country. But in all three cases, the denials appear to be based on these individuals’ views on religion and politics, Human Rights Watch said. More…
FrontLine Defenders 2010/02/18 Saudi Arabia: Continued refusal to register human rights organisation The Saudi Society of Labour Human rights organisation the Saudi Society of Labour has been denied permission to legally register since May 2007. The Saudi Society of Labour works to protect the rights of workers, tackle unemployment in Saudi Arabia, improve and develop the performance of Saudi workers, activate labour unions while adhering to the Kingdom’s laws, empower the female workforce, and offer foreign language courses and computer training. According to Saudi law, civil societies are not allowed to form or conduct activities without prior authorisation. Although permission to register was granted to the semi-official Saudi Human Rights Society, this has not been the case for independent human rights groups such as the Saudi Society of Labour, Human Rights First in Saudi Arabia and the Legal Support Society. Front Line believes that the refusal to register human rights organisation the Saudi Society of Labour constitutes a violation of the right to freedom of association. More…
Dublin: Front Line Launches Annual Report on global situation for Human Rights Defenders Ms Margaret Sekkagya, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders launches (11 February) Front Line’s Annual Report on the dangers faced by human rights defenders around the world. The report which is being launched by Front Line to coincide with the 5th Dublin Platform highlights the fact that to be a human rights defender remains a high risk occupation in many countries. “Despite the high level of commitment given to the protection of human rights defenders, in theory, the sad reality is that the effective space for human rights defenders to work is steadily shrinking” said Front Line Director Mary Lawlor. More…
Front Line Defenders 2010 Report: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN 2009 “During 2009 Front Line issued 69 urgent appeals for human rights defenders at risk from 13 countries from the Middle East and North Africa, namely Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Western Sahara, and Yemen. Throughout 2009, the situation of HRDs remained difficult in many countries in the Middle East and North Africa. In Oman, Saudi Arabia and UAE, human rights defenders continued to face difficulties because of the severe restrictions in place on basic freedoms including freedom of the press, association and assembly. In these countries the attempts by individuals or groups to be active were discouraged and met with intimidation, denial of registration or of permits to hold protests, travel bans, arrest and unfair trials. “ Read Report in English
Dublin: 110 human rights defenders from 85 countries join Front Line for Dublin Platform More than a hundred Human Rights Defenders from around the world attended the formal opening of Front Line’s “5th Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders” Dublin Castle from 10- 12 February. HRFS President Ibrahim Almugaiteeb attended this platform. The Dublin Platform is one of the biggest international gatherings of human rights defenders and brings together human rights defenders from every region of the world. “Despite their radically different backgrounds and issues the one thing they all have in common is that they are at risk for their legitimate work in defense of the human rights of others” said Mary Lawlor Director of Front Line. More…
Ms. Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Addressed the Fifth Dublin Platform for Human Rights Defenders. “I am aware that the majority of you move in volatile and dangerous environments. Your security and ability to work is often jeopardised either by blatant repression and violence, particularly in areas of conflict, or by increasingly insidious patterns of restrictions and abuse. It is of vital importance to discuss at this forum and elsewhere–and as often and as visibly as possible–ways and means to minimize risks for human rights defenders, improve their safety, and foster an environment conducive to human rights advocacy.” More remarks…
International Women’s Day in pictures International Women’s Day is March 8. It is a day of global celebration but there is no room for complacency as women continue to face inequity on many fronts. See how IWD looks around the globe… More…
International Women’s Day Events Website: Each year on 8 March, hundreds of International Women’s Day events occur all around the world. The events range from small random informal gatherings to large-scale highly organised events. All celebrate women’s advancement and highlight the need for continued vigilance and action. The IWD events website has been running since 2001. More…
ACPRA Calls for Establishing a Fact-Finding Committee to Investigate Human Right Abuses in Saudi Arabia: We (The Saudi Civil and Political Rights Activists) Call for Establishing a Fact-Finding Committee to Investigate Human Right Violations by the Saudi Interior Ministry For the Following Three Reasons: First, they (the violations) are systematic and amount to crimes against humanity. Second, they rely on distorted religious texts that legitimize injustice, despotism, torture, backwardness, inequality, and repressing plurality.Third, these abusive practices are one of the leading causes of the domestic and international terrorism, especially the tragic events of September 11th, 2001. More. . . in English in Arabic
HRW NEWS: Indonesia: Guarantee Domestic Workers’ Rights in 2010 – Government Slow to Address Discrimination and Mistreatment Both at Home and Abroad February 12, 2010 (New York) – The Indonesian government should adopt stronger legal protections for domestic workers in 2010 to address longstanding patterns of labor exploitation and abuse according to Human Rights Watch. An ILO study in 2003 found that approximately 2.6 million people were employed as domestic workers across Indonesia, including almost 700,000 children. More than a million Indonesian women and girls are employed as domestic workers in the Middle East and Asia, with large numbers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Singapore. Human Rights Watch has extensively documented the inadequate government response to the range of human rights abuses these workers often experience. More…
Amnesty International 2009 Report – Saudi Arabia Thousands of people continued to be detained without trial as terrorism suspects and hundreds more were arrested. In October, the government announced that more than 900 would be brought to trial. Human rights activists and peaceful critics of the government were detained or remained in prison, including prisoners of conscience. Freedom of expression, religion, association and assembly remained tightly restricted. Women continued to face severe discrimination in law and practice. Migrant workers suffered exploitation and abuse with little possibility of redress. Refugees and asylum-seekers were not adequately protected. The administration of justice remained shrouded in secrecy and was summary in nature. Torture and other ill-treatment of detainees were widespread and systematic, and carried out with impunity. Flogging was used widely as a main and additional punishment. The death penalty continued to be used extensively and in a discriminatory manner against migrant workers from developing countries, women and poor people. At least 102 people were executed. More…
