With the escalation of human rights deterioration indicators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and with the increasing execution and issuance of death sentences and the continuing arbitrary detentions and monitoring of torture in prisons, the 48th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council started on 13 September 2021 in Geneva. Council member states together with mandate-holders, United Nations Special Rapporteurs and actors, discuss human rights developments in the world.
This session, which runs until October 8th, 2021, is taking place in light of the clear picture of the promises made by Saudi Arabia during the past period. Since losing a seat on the Human Rights Council in October 2020, Saudi violations have increased, and promises made in previous years to improve human rights conditions in the country have proved false.
Saudi Arabia was strongly criticized by the council member states in September 2020, September 2019 and March 2019. After that, during 2020 Saudi Arabia promoted a number of reforms, and in January 2021 the Saudi Human Rights Commission said that the decline in the death sentences carried out in 2020 was due to judicial reforms. Since the beginning of 2021, the reality of these promises and their use in political propaganda has started without any human rights reforms, in which that Saudi Arabia has doubled the numbers of executions. These sentences extended to reach minors and accused of charges including demonstrating and it's currently threatening at least dozens of detainees with execution. The Saudi government also continues to practice arbitrary detentions and torture in detention facilities in the absence of fair trials.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights monitors the activities of the 48th session of the Human Rights Council and reports dealing with Saudi violations. It will publish a number of reports related to this session. ESOHR is also present in Geneva to hold several meetings with countries and organizations.