As themed, success through perseverance and solidarity: 15 years of constant achievements from human rights advocates. Rapporteur Mary Lawlor presented a report estimating 25 years since adopting the Universal Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
The report, published on the margin of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, highlighted the accomplishments that the advocates stood up for, including access to justice, change of laws, and other aspects.
The Rapporteur addressed the situation in Saudi Arabia and referred to the “hard-won” triumphs by Human Rights advocates. Such successes include lifting the ban on women driving in June 2018 and suspending the male guardianship system. She also mentioned the violations that dozens of women faced as human rights defenders for standing up against the driving law, such as torture and imprisonment.
Nevertheless, the report shed light on Loujain al- Hathloul’s custody, a human rights advocate. Her custody was up to 3 years before her release on parole in 2021.
The report concluded that advocates are achieving impeccable success globally through dedication and ambition. The rapporteur elucidated that such accomplishments usually go unnoticed since state officials tend to resort to defamation and target human rights advocates.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights indicates that Saudi Arabia deliberately targets human rights defenders by all means. It is one of the leading countries that try to blur the defenders’ roles and not accept any change. Along with the dissolving associations and organizations and the arresting of defenders, it continues to detain them after their sentences and conceal them, which the Rapporteur recently warned against.