The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has once again rejected the criticisms made by a number of countries during the interactive debates of the Human Rights Council during the 48th session, which runs from 13 September to 8 October 2021. Several criticisms were leveled against it by the representatives of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
In his response, a member of the Saudi delegation to Geneva, Muhannad Al-Basrawi, claimed that his country is committed to implementing the reforms it promised in the framework of the 2030 vision. He said that peaceful practices are not criminalized in Saudi Arabia but are guaranteed.
This is denied by facts and figures, where activists are imprisoned, subjected to ill-treatment and torture, and the judiciary issues harsh arbitrary sentences against individuals and human rights defenders for their peaceful practices and for their defense of human rights.
With regard to the death penalty, Saudi Arabia claimed that it adhered to international restrictions and laws relating to the death penalty and that it would implement it only after finding clear evidence that did not provide any alternative interpretation of the facts. It also said that the laws were under constant review.
This comes as sentencing, documentation and fact sheets confirm that Saudi Arabia is carrying out death sentences despite the defendants' assertion that confessions were extracted under torture, and despite the fact that in many cases the evidence is merely confessions by the defendants. Saudi Arabia continues to carry out the death penalty for crimes that are not the most serious and continues to use it against minors. It executed Mustafa al-Darwish in June 2021 and is currently threatening the lives of other minors.
Saudi Arabia has rejected criticism of the Anti-Terrorism Law, saying it only applies to those who carry out terrorist acts that disturb security. Saudi Arabia called on the Human Rights Council and countries to obtain information from reliable sources.
According to the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights the official Saudi response to criticism before the Human Rights Council is a clear denial of the documented facts and comes within the framework of misinformation published by the government.
The organization points out that by imposing silence on domastic civil society and preventing work of national human rights organizations and associations, Saudi Arabia is trying to ensure that the information it provides to the international community is the only source. Saudi Arabia has banned activists from participating in any UN human rights mechanism, including imposing travel ban and the subsequent arrest of Samar Badawi after she participated in the work of the Human Rights Council.
The organization affirms that Saudi Arabia is attempting in every way to impose silence on violations inside Saudi Arabia. And beside arresting and cracking down on female and male defenders, it provides false information and attacks any sources and information that reach the UN not through it.