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Introduction
The entertainment and sports investments buzz along with the international events held in KSA were the prominent character of 2021, and the image which topped to the surface, but what about the bottom?
The ferocity of repression was another prominent character during the reign of the King Salman Bin Abdulaziz and his son Muhammad, through the conduct which surpassed the previous eras, and which was strongly present during the year through the many incidents taking place, among of which is eliminating the independent civil society, which the rules deems a top priority policy. To achieve this goal, the government is establishing substitutes for individuals or groups and presenting them as being the true voice of the civil society. It chooses the figures, which are their affiliates of course, to help it present this false image of the actual reality.
Saudi Arabia ended 2021 relatively liberated from the isolation it was subject to due to its ugly crime of murdering the Journalist Jamal Khashoggi. France was the first to offer the rescue through a visit to conclude some business deals. The visit paved the bumpy way ahead and improved the morals of the Saudi government, through such a primary move, diminishing the taxes it must pay for its crimes and its human rights violations.
Year 2021 was a renewable phase to monitor the promises made by the Saudi Arabia during the past few years, where it attempted to create a new image through public speeches and statements and other implied ones, in addition to replies for the letters of the United Nations mechanisms for Human Rights, where it acted as ideal and perfectionist. It indulged in the entertainment, sports, and culture sector, which helps it serve its efforts to whitewash its stained image with the blood of Yemen, the persecution of women and the execution of minors.
In this annual report, the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights provides a thorough reading for the human rights reality in Saudi Arabia, through what it monitored during 2021. This report only covers a limited aspect of the painful human rights reality in the country.
Covid-19 Pandemic: 19:
In 2021, the whole world kept on facing the Covid-19 pandemic. While, some states and institutions were trying to face the relevant challenges imposed due to this on human rights, other governments were burdening the pandemic with even more restrictions and violations.
Saudi Arabia did not abide to several international recommendations related to human rights and the pandemic, and according to the monitoring of ESOHR, the government used the restrictions imposed by the pandemic to commit further violations or justify them.
Despite that, Saudi Arabia confirmed the vaccination of 68% of the prisoners in the State’s security prisons until April 2021, it subjected severe measures against the prisoners and their families, without offering substitutes, in addition to monitoring other arbitrary measures. According to the information of ESOHR, the administration of the investigation prison in Dammam, places the prisoners upon appearing to the trial sessions in “precautionary quarantine” for ten days. Information pointed out that the administration of the prison deals with this quarantine measure while ignoring the rights of the prisoner. In many cases, it prevents the prisoner from communicating with the outside world. It places the prisoner in a cell without TV; one of the prisoners described it as being a “new solitary confinement” which leads to a very difficult psychological status. Also, information signified that the prisoner is deprived of his simple rights during this time as being provided with extra clothes, which is a violation to the fundamental safety terms related to the hygiene measures to face the pandemic.
In addition, the organization monitored deaths related to the pandemic inside the prisons. In May 8, 2021, the prisoner of conscience Zaheer Ali Shareeda al-Mohammed Ali died in Al-Haer prison in Riyadh after contracting Covid-19 while the disease spread in the prison earlier. According to Al-Qist organization, al-Mohammed Ali was detained with others, intentionally in the same prisoners’ dormitory who contracted Covid-19. Also, information pointed out that other prisoners of conscience contracted the virus among them was the human rights defender Mohammad Al-Qahtani.
Al-Mohammed Ali and more than 30 prisoners of conscience in Al-Haer prison went on food strike in March 2021, protesting the harassments.
On the other hand, the United Nations special rapporteurs mentioned in October 2021 in a letter to the Saudi government, that it is listed among the governments, which did not fulfill its obligations before the world. In addition, it contributed in the non-equality in obtaining Covid-19 vaccinations, medications, health technologies, diagnosis means and health treatments inside the countries, which impacts negatively several human rights, in particular individuals and persons who live in low and medium income countries.
Execution
During 2021, the executed death penalties in 2021 increased from 27 to 66 until the date of publishing this report, who is a 144% increase, among them is at least one minor. The numbers of the executed death penalties confirmed the false official Saudi allegations, which promoted a change in dealing with the executions file. It doubled the number compared to those carried on in 2020. The official Human Rights Commission bragged about the number in 2020, and attributed it to judicial system reforms.
The commission statement issued in January 2021 mentioned that there has been a moratorium for death penalties in drug offenses. No cases were documented of being executed which only include drug offenses. However, a number of individuals were executed during the year faced a series of charges among of which were drugs related. Within the chaos in the charges lists and non-distinguishing between the charges, by which the detainees may face the death penalty, thus the moratorium in this regards for such crimes cannot be trusted. Also, no laws were passed on death penalty moratorium for drug offenses, neither the current judgements were replaced. The detainees still face an uncertain fate, among them Husain Abu Al-Khair who is sentenced to death since 2015.
The statement also signified to the moratorium of death penalty for minors. It pointed out that all those who face death penalties for charges, which occurred when they were minors, shall be re-trialed and that the maximum sanction will not exceed 10 years imprisonment. The statement which was published in English only, signified to the cases of Ali Al Nimr, Dawood Al Marhoon and Abdullah Al Zaher, which were highlighted internationally and condemned universally when they were sentenced to death. Later on in February 2021, a new judgement was issued of 10 years imprisonment for Ali Al Nimr replacing the final judgment of execution. In October 2021, he was released, and afterwards Abdullah Al Zaher was also released.
The cases of Ali Al Nimr and Abdullah Al Zaher reached this end due to the broadened international pressures exercised, in which the practices of Saudi Arabia in reality concerning the cases of other minors are still disturbed. In June 2021, Saudi Arabia executed Mustafa Al-Darwish, who was a minor when he was charged. Saudi Arabia denied these facts in its reply to the international criticism and the UN letter; It claimed that Al-Darwish wasn’t a minor, and therefore denying the facts.
Until the report was published, Saudi Arabia still threatens the life of 5 minors at least. Among them is Abdullah Al-Huwaiti, who was arrested when he was 14 years old. Saudi Arabia received several international letters and criticisms due to the sentence passed against Al-Huwaiti, and despite the many flaws in his case. In November 2021, the Supreme Court appealed the execution judgement against him, and new trials sessions began. According to the information obtained by the organization, the public prosecution did not change its allegations during the first session which was held after the cassation of the judgment, which signifies to the probability of still being at the risk of execution.
The organization documented cases of 4 other minors face execution: Hasan Zaki Al-Faraj, Sajjad Al-Yassin, Youssef Al-Manasef and Jalal Al-Labbad.
The lack of transparency in the official Saudi response to the executions file, makes it difficult to access all cases, as well as it stirs concerns on the existence of more minors in the prisons, whom the organization can’t document their cases.
In 2021, the KSA carried several Ta’azir executions, which mean judgements issued based solely on the assessment of the judge. Among these judgements, the one passed in October 2021 against the young man Muslim Al Mohsen. ESOHR documented several violations in the different phases of Al-Mohsen detain and trial, including torture to force confessions and deprivation of the right to self-defense and others.
In addition, Saudi Arabia executed by Ta’azir sentence a number of persons, among them Adnan Al-Sharfa, Ahmad Al-Janbi, and Makki Al- Obeid. The organization could not monitor their names in the lists of those at risk of execution or the detainees at any earlier time. This adds to the concerns for the lives of other individuals whose cases were not documents due to the policy of the Saudi government in intimidating the families and silencing the civil society.
Currently, Saudi Arabia remains threatening tens of the prisoners’ lives. The organization was able to monitor 42 cases. Among them is the two young men Asad Shabbir, and Mohammed Al-Shakhuri, which the UN requested Saudi Arabia to halt the death penalties against them. Moreover, the Public Prosecution demands to execute tens of persons, among them, Salman Al-Awda and Hasan Al-Malki. The organization documents the several violations in such cases including torture, ill-treatment and others.
In addition to the arbitrary judgments, and abstaining from informing the families with the date of judgments execution and depriving them from a farewell with the prisoner, Saudi Arabia practices a continuous mental torture against the families of the death penalty victims. It withholds the bodies of the individuals who were executed and deprives the families from their right to bury them. According to ESOHR, Saudi Arabic seizes now 91 remains for persons who were murdered since 2016.
Torture and ill-treatment
In 2021, torture continued in the Saudi prisons, as well as the violations for the international commitments which KSA ratified as the Convention Against Torture and other cruel treatment forms. According to the follow-up of ESOHR, Saudi Arabia and its institutions lack the minimum basics for holding the persons who committed torture accountable.
On the 12th of October 2021, reliable health reports confirmed the death of one of the most prominent “Jeddah reformers” Dr. Musa Al-Qarni in his cell in Thahban prison. According to the information circulated among the activists, Al-Qarni was beaten by a group of prisoners on the face and head which led to crushing his skull and deformation of his face, leading to his death. Al-Qarni was arrested in February 2007, while he was attending a meeting with his colleagues aiming at founding an association to spread awareness among citizens and call for reform. He was severely tortured and placed in solitary confinement for long times. A sentence was issued against him for 20 years imprisonment and travel ban for 20 years after his release.
Despite that Covid-19 pandemic continued, however the Saudi government didn’t apply any serious measures to protect the detainees in prisons which is classified as ill-treatment. In March 2021, a number of detainees among them were human rights defenders, declared going on food strike due to the ill-treatment and the bad prison conditions. In May 2021, the prisoner of conscience Zaheer Ali Shareeda al-Mohammed Ali died, who was among the prisoners of conscience who participated in the food strike due to ill-treatment. Information reported that he was detained in very bad conditions with persons who contracted Covid-19.
In addition to the violations inside the prison, Saudi Arabia executed during 2021, individuals despite they confirmed before the judge that they were subject to torture. Among them was the minor Mustafa Al-Darwish who published his memos he wrote inside the prison where he mentioned the torture forms he was subject to, which as a result they took his confessions and a sentence was issued against him. In addition to Al-Darwish, Saudi Arabic executed the young man Muslim AlMohsen, despite the violations committed during his detain and especially ill-treatment and torture.
With regards to holding those in charge for torture accountable, the impunity policy continues. Despite 3 years passing for murdering the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the consulate of his country in Istanbul, the actual doers were not held accountable although some of those were liable as some UN reports indicated.
Moreover, in February 2021, upon conditional release of the human rights defender Loujain AlHathloul, the Court of Appeal refused a lawsuit she has filed for and confirmed that she was subject to torture. Al-Hathloul, besides other activities have assured that she was tortured with electric shocks, whipped and sexually harassed. Instead of interrogating those accused of torture, the Saudi government in August 2019 blackmailed Al-Hathloul, and offered her release in exchange for a video where she denies that she was ever subject to torture, which prevents her from filing a complaint. Afterwards, the Court of Appeal rejected the complaint of Al-Hathloul and banned her from traveling and from public speech on what she encountered. Fears remain on the possibility of re-arresting Al-Hathloul and the rest of the activists who were subject to torture.
Forced disappearance::
Forced disappearance is still a systematic practice in Saudi Arabia. It is an introduction to many violations, arbitrary judgements and others. Despite the lack of transparency and the difficulty to access the cases broadly, ESOHR documented in 2021 a number of forced disappearance cases.
On May 12, 2021, the State’s security forces arrested Abdullah Jilan, at Medina, after raiding his mother’s house and searching it before taking him to an unknow place. Jilan was active on Twitter, and he called for his right to work and to have fundamental rights in KSA.
In the late of May 2021, officers from the Saudi State’s security presidency raided the house of Al-Sharif family in Riyadh, and arrested Dr. Lina Al-Sharif and took her to an unknown place. On the 22nd of July 2021, investigation forces arrested the activist on social media Abdullah Bin Awad Al Mubaraki from his house in Yanbu city. Afterwards, no one heard about his news since he was arrested. Although there were family attempts to know his place, and they checked the prisons in Yanbu, Medina and Jeddah, but they couldn’t reach him. On the 20th of July 2021, the Saudi security forces arrested the activist Najla Abdulaziz Mohammad Al Marwan from her house in Riyadh, and she disappeared coercively and her family didn’t know where she was for more than a month.
On the 21st of November 2021, Amer Matrouk Al Faleh disappeared, the son of the author and political sciences professor Matrouk Al Faleh. On the 24th of November, Al Faleh family announced that their son was missing and that he never returned home. On the 25th of November, the family knew that he was arrested by the State’s security, without knowing the reason.
ESOHR monitored other arbitrary cases, and the national sources signified that the victims were subject to forced disappearance, among them Sheikh Abdullah Al Shahri who was arrested due to his tweets criticizing the declarations of the crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Also, among these names who their disappearance was monitored, was Reena Abdulaziz and Yasmine Al Ghufaily. In addition, a number of persons are still coercively disappeared despite that many years have passed, among them the scholar Sulaiman Al Dowaish and Ahmad Al Mughassil, and the young man Mohammad Al Ammar.
Freedom of expression and opinion
The freedom of expression and opinion platform in Saudi Arabia witnessed during the last years a big diminishing. This diminish reached its peak during 2021. The governmental authorities are exercising further efforts together to prosecute the activists and any person expressing his/her opinion. On the 5th of April, the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh passed a final judgement against the detainee who was forcibly disappeared Abdul Rahman Al Sadhan, a sentence of 20 years imprisonment, and travel ban for another 20 years for charges related to his electronic activism and expressing his opinion on Twitter.
On the 22nd of July 2021, the investigations forces arrested the social media activist Abdullah Bin Awad Al Mubaraki from his house at Yanbu city. Activists estimated that he was arrested due to expressing his opinion, and participating in campaigns on social media to defend the civil and political rights, and objecting the government policies. On the 20th of July, the Saudi security forces arrested the activist Najla Abdulaziz Mohammad Al Marwan from her house in Riyadh, and forcibly made her disappear. Her Twitter account shows that she welcomed and supported a cal for a protest on Arafa’s Day. A group of activities have launched a hashtag #Arafah_Day_Protest and called for participation in a campaign against the government policies and the crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman, for the aim of calling for the release of the detainees, in addition to enabling the youth to obtain their right to jobs, cancel taxes and others.
Also, information signify that there other arrests against other women, among them Dr. Lina Al Sharif for expressing her opinion on social media. in June 2021, information reported that Asma Al Sabii was arrested as well as the social media activist Reena Abdulaziz (laden) in May 2021, in addition to the arrest of Yasmin Al Ghufaily.
Freedom of the press::
Saudi Arabia is an enemy state when it comes to journalists. In 2021, KSA came in rank 170 out of 180 State in the report of the universal classification for the press freedom issued by reporters without borders annually. This comes along the continuous imprisonment of 32 journalists at least according to the Reporters organization, and the lack of free media means, as well as intensified monitoring for journalists inside and outside. In addition, these is an intensified monitoring for the social media platforms.
Reporters without borders listed the crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman on the list “Press Freedom Predators” for 2021. The organization signified that Bin Salman controls all authorities and head a royal regime which doesn’t act easy with free media. Bin Salman practices repression in several aspects, including spying and threats which can lead sometimes to kidnapping and torture. Reporters without borders filed in March 2021 a complaint against the Saudi crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman and other top Saudi officials accused of committing crimes against humanity, before the German Public Prosecutor of the Federal Court of Justice. The lawsuit is a 500 pages document on the persecution of journalists in Saudi Arabia and crimes against humanity committed in the country, as well as its violation to the human rights principles.
In addition, the impunity policy still continues. Despite having 3 years passed after murdering the journalist Jamal Khashoggi at his country consulate in turkey, Saudi Arabia didn’t hold the actual responsible for his murder accountable who were also signified to by the international investigations reports. Also, it didn’t hold the killers of the photographer Husain Al Faraj accountable, who was murdered while shooting the protests of Al Qatif in 2012.
Human Rights Defenders
Most human rights defenders are at risk of violations in Saudi Arabia, and many of them remain detained in prisons. Those who were not detained yet or were released are subject to several violations, including harassments, travel ban and prosecutions.
In prisons, the suffering of defenders continue, among them is the human rights defender Mohamamd Al Qahtani who was subject to ill-treatment which led to his participation along with other activists in food strike.
In the beginning of 2021, many human rights women defenders were released from prison among them is Loujain Al Hathloul, Samar Badawi and Nassima Al Sada. This happened upon several and severe criticisms. The release of the women defenders was accompanied with being harassed, and they are still banned from traveling and from practicing any activities.
While Saudi Arabia tried to promote that it closed the file of the women detainees with the releases happening, reality confirms that they are still detaining tens of activists since years among them Naima Al Matroud and Israa al Ghamgham and Fatima Al Nassif.
The Saudi governments intends to harass the activists who are not detained in different means, through banning them from traveling, harassing their families, prosecuting them and others. Information signified that the applied amended article 4 of the civil service regulation, which conditions that any person to be appointed at any post should enjoy good morals and conduct and not to be charged for an imprisonment sentence longer than one year. Also, their appointment at most times require a security check which means they never get appointed at any vacant job position.
Women Rights
Saudi Arabia promoted during the recent years for a series of measures stating that they aim at improving women rights. For this purpose, it stopped the ban of women driving cars, and granted some fundamental rights. The Saudi government appointed women in leadership and political positions. It removed some travel bans in addition to granting some work rights, education rights and annulling a part of the man’s custodianship and others. These steps were not sufficient to enable the women further than they were a political advertisement, neither to protect them from abuse.
Until today, the children of the Saudi women are deprived of their right to obtain the nationality, only upon specific conditions. Women still need the approval of the custodian in many conditions among them is leaving the prison and health care. Also, men can file lawsuits against their daughters or wives or relatives for the charge of “disobedience” which can lead to their forced return to the house of their custodian or to imprison them.
Although Saudi Arabia bragged about passing a law for protection from harm for the purpose of fighting abuse against women, however the women in Saudi Arabia remain at risk of official and domestic abuse within the law shortcoming and the absence of efficient mechanisms which victims may trust. According to the follow-up of ESOHR, the abused women fear seeking the official authorities who are in charge for their protection and punishing those who committed the abuse. Also, the Saudi government still prosecutes women activists within absence of any possible mechanisms to hold the actual doers accountable for torturing the human rights defenders in prisons.
On the other hand, the Saudi Arabia declared that it amended the bail law to protect the rights of the foreign workers. However, the claimed reforms excluded women from the foreign workers, in which the laws still can’t protect them from long working hours and forced residence and abuse.
Bedoon
The suffering of hundreds thousands of persons continue in Saudi Arabia for being deprived from their fundamental right to obtain a nationality, and deprivation of other rights, despite the respective promises during the recent past years. In November 11, 2021, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz issued a decision to grant the Saudi nationality to individuals considered qualified persons who live in KSA and enjoy all the “subject terms” while thousands of persons remain deprived although they don’t hold any other nationality and they are entitled to obtain it, within the shortcomings of laws and absence of standards.
Hundreds of thousands suffer in Saudi Arabia from deprivation of nationality, despite promoting that there has been amendments to the nationality regulation in KSA. The children of the Saudi woman are deprived their right to nationality only upon specific terms. In addition, thousands of persons from the immigrating tribes and thousands of individuals who were born in KSA and who belong to the families of the immigrants and do not hold any other nationality. According to the estimates published by the official newspapers six years ago, the number of stateless persons among the immigrating tribes is around quarter a million, in addition to other deprived persons who belong to other categories.
Deprivation from rights took other forms during 2021. The Saudi government activated the application “Tawakalna” and made it mandatory in Riyadh to enter the governmental institutions and to visit the public places, however the individuals who do not hold an ID number cannot register to it, which deprived the stateless persons the right to movement.
United Nations Reports and Criticisms::
Saudi Arabia faced severe criticism during 2021. In addition to the criticisms it received by the UN mechanisms and in particular the Human Rights Council and the special rapporteurs, the States criticized KSA and demanded it to commit to its pledges.
and mechanisms:
- On January 28, 2021, a number of UN special rapporteurs sent a letter to Saudi Arabia on the current situation of the immigrants who are helpless at the detention centers, which are crowded and for very long and unspecified terms. The rapporteurs signified to the deteriorating condition of the detention centers.
- In February 2021, the UN special rapporteurs sent the Saudi government a letter objecting the execution issued by Saudi Arabia against the minor Abdullah Al Huwaiti and demanded its suspension considering it arbitrary. The letter mentioned that the Huwaiti is to be executed nearly, after being arrested arbitrary and trialed unjustly, for a crime that they claim it occurred when he was 14 years old.
- In February 2021, the special rapporteur on the human rights defenders Marie Lawlor presented her report to the Human Rights Council in its 46th session. She noted that Saudi Arabia along with 65 other states killed human rights defenders during 2015-2019. The report mentioned that several governments do not fulfill its commitments to protect human rights defenders against assaults and actions which lead to their death.
- In February 2021, the special rapporteurs published a letter they sent to the Saudi government on the arbitrary murder of the citizen Abdul Rahim Al-Huwaiti. The letter signified that Al-Huwaiti was killed on April 13, 2020 within executing evacuation operations at AlKhraibeh village as a part of Neom project. Tabuk emirate informed the residents of AlKhraibeh village that they shall be evacuated forcibly, so properties were taken over for the interest of Neom project which aims at building a new city in Tabuk.
- In March 2021, UN experts considered that Saudi Arabia is still violating the International law in executing the death penalties despite the recent decisions. A statement issued on the 3rd of March 2021, the experts prompted Saudi Arabia to annul the judgments issued against 3 individuals and release them. This came after the decision of diminishing the death penalties against them in crimes they claim to have committed when they were less than 18 years old.
- In March 2021, UN human rights experts considered that the death penalty issued against the young man Ali Hasan Al Rabih, in case executed is an arbitrary murder which the State is liable for.
- In March 2021, the personnel on arbitrary arrestation published its opinion considering that threatening the life of the minor Mohammad Issam Al Faraj with execution is “unforgivable” and it demanded Saudi Arabia his immediate release and investigating all the violations he was subject to. The opinion considered that Saudi Arabia is committing the violations and arbitrary arrests which are deemed as crimes against humanity.
- In June 2021, a group of UN special rapporteurs expressed their “deep concern” with regards to the conditions of the immigrants workers in Saudi Arabia. The letter noted that a number of immigrants workers live in conditions of slavery and ill-treatment during this era. Treatment of the immigrants workers in Saudi Arabia are considered human rights violations and places these immigrants “under the mercy of their employers”.
- In June 2021, the special rapporteurs sent a letter to Saudi Arabia with regards to the death penalty against Mustafa Al Darwish due to crimes among them is protesting, which many of them happened when he was a minor. The letter signified to the many violations which the case included.
- In June 2021, a letter sent by UN special rapporteurs to Saudi Arabia was published, where they expressed their concerns with regards to Morocco handing Oussama Abbas Talal Al Mahrouki Al Hasni to Saudi Arabia despite the measures ordered by the UN commission against torture.
- In September 2021, the UN secretary general reassured in the annual report of UN Human Rights Council that Saudi Arabia still uses intimidation and revenge against individuals who seek to cooperate or those who cooperate with UN and their representatives and mechanisms in the human rights field.
- On the 7th of September 2021, UN human rights experts published a letter criticizing Saudi Arabia severely for executing Mustafa Al Darwish in June. The experts, including the special rapporteur on executions, expressed their deep concern from not receiving any response to the previous reporting related to Al Darwish case, and that Saudi Arabia executed Al Darwish despite the high concerns of the UN that he wasn’t subject to a fair trial.
- In September 2021, the report of the secretariat general of UN confirmed with regards to the death penalty that Saudi Arabia and other states are still violating the international standards and laws in executing the death penalty. The report focused on the consequences of enjoying human rights due to the lack of transparency in applying and subjecting the death penalty.
- In November 2021, the UN special rapporteurs published a letter demanding Saudi Arabia to abstain from executing the detainees Mohammad Al Shakhuri and Asad Shubbar. They confirmed that disrespecting the standards to procedures and the fair trials is regarded as arbitrary murder which the State is liable for.
International Attitudes:
- In February 2021, the European Union expressed its concern for the restrictions of Saudi Arabia to the political and civil rights. The speech considered that this concern is enforced with the continuity in using the law on terror to prosecute civilians and activists.
- In February 2021, the UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet stated that Saudi Arabia still detains individuals illegally, and she prompted it to support freedom of expression and right to peaceful gathering.
- In March 2021, 160 European member of parliament demanded in a statement Saudi Arabia to end all forms of discrimination against women and cancel the bail regulation and immediate and unconditional release of all the human rights women defenders who are detained due to their peaceful human rights activism and to drop all charges against them.
- In March 2021, Luxemburg, Belgium and Netherlands condemned the revenge and terrorizing acts practiced by the states against the human rights defenders for their cooperation with the UN.
- In March 2021, Denmark expressed its concern for the continuity of Saudi Arabia in litigating civil society activists and it signified that it observes with concern the use of torture.
- In March 2021, Norway called Saudi Arabia to protect human rights and to take measures to guarantee the transparency, law sovereignty and independency of the jurisdiction.
- In March 2021, Sweden called Saudi Arabia to release all the political detainees and it stated that despite the recent steps it remains concerned for the use of terrorism legislations against the peaceful practices.
- On the 8th of July 2021, the European Parliament adopted a decision condemning the human rights violations of Saudi Arabia. The decision condemned the continuous execution of minors by Saudi Arabia as well as the arbitrary executions. The members of Parliament called the European Union and all its institutions to step forwards as well as they called for the Human Rights Council to appoint a special rapporteur to observe the human rights in Saudi Arabia.
- In September 2021, Denmark stated that the application is the most important thing when it comes to the reforms promised by Saudi Arabia and that it remains concern that Saudi Arabia prosecutes the civil society activists.
- In September 2021, Sweden called Saudi Arabia to grant the individuals their right to freedom of opinion and expression in particular the human rights defenders and it expressed its concern from using the law on terror against them.
- In September 2021, Norway criticized the continuous human right violations of Saudi Arabia and demanded her to respect all the rights and protect the human rights defenders as well as make reforms to secure the independency of the jurisdiction.
Conclusion:
Since King Salman Bin Abdulaziz became in reign in 2015, Saudi Arabia is paying off both efforts and money, as well as launching campaigns to whitewash their dark image worldwide. Saudi Arabia attempts through these campaigns to attract the world’s attention through hosting influential people and coming up with promises and declarations to send a message stating that the only country which used to prevent women from driving cars, has changed.
ESOHR believes that the numbers and facts documented in 2021 reassures that the whitewashing campaigns were accompanied in the inside with assaulting fiercely the civil society and its activists, violations of rights, continuity in executions and repressions, increased silencing for anyone trying to criticize or speak about facts. Thus, these campaigns didn’t actually reflect to the lives of the individuals in Saudi Arabia, however and very often further severe violations were committed against them.
The organization signifies that the course of the events related to human rights in Saudi Arabia, especially in 2021, shows that the political mood controls the promises and declarations, and therefore cannot be relied on. The organization considers that changing the course of some cases and any positive results in the human rights field is an accumulation of several factors, away from any political promises, in which the most important of them is the people’s struggle.