At the HRC, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attacked the sources relied upon by the UN Special Rapporteur on religious freedom or belief, Mr. Ahmed Shaheed, in his annual report issued in the framework of the Council’s 43rd session.
In response to the rapporteur’s report (issued on 2 March 2020), Saudi representative Mishaal al-Balawi said that Saudi Arabia is keen for its citizens and residents to enjoy their rights without discrimination, regardless of their religious affiliation. He also stated that the government condemns all forms of violence and discrimination.
ESOHR believes that the Saudi representative ignored the excessive violence his country’s government uses against its citizens via various weapons and oppressive measures to punish and prosecute them for exercising legitimate rights, including religion and belief. Along with the ongoing raids, in April 2019, the government executed citizen Abbas al-Hassan and others on charges including religious practices containing no form of violence whatsoever.
The Special Rapporteur criticized Saudi Arabia based on information from NGOs indicating that Saudi women are subjected to systematic discrimination in law and practice in many areas and do not enjoy adequate protection from violence. Saudi Arabia pushed back against these reports, as it usually does when dealing with rights organizations and NGOs, saying that the information is false and the sources unreliable.
The Saudi representative once again sang the praises of the recent changes Saudi Arabia has approved, pointing out that the government is committed to the principles and provisions of Islamic law, as well as the international laws and instruments it has ratified. He declared that the regulations contain no discrimination, weakening, or frustration in recognizing the human rights and basic freedoms of women.
ESOHR emphasizes that the Saudi response ignored Saudi laws that continue to discriminate against women’s rights to nationality and other aspects—not to mention other disgraceful practices against women, such as the arbitrary detentions, unfair trials, ill treatment and torture of women activists and human rights advocates for exercising legitimate rights, such as expressing opinions.