The High Commissioner of the Human Rights Council, Michelle Bachelet, asked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to take advantage of the opportunity of the G20 summit to be held this year in Riyadh to show progress in implementing its international human rights commitments.
On 27 February 2020, during her presentation on the High Commissioner’s work and the latest developments in global human rights, at the HRC’s 43rd session (held from 24 February to 20 March 2020), Ms. Bachelet focused on the most notable violations throughout the world, including the facts in Saudi Arabia.
The High Commissioner urged Saudi Arabia to develop a legislative framework to support freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly, and association. She also called for a review of the sentences of all those convicted on charges related to expressing their opinions, including human rights advocates, religious leaders, and journalists.
Ms. Bachelet repeated her calls for the release of women who legally and peacefully demanded reform of discriminatory policies in the country. Moreover, she asked Saudi Arabia for full transparency in ongoing judicial proceedings and full accountability for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The High Commissioner has repeatedly criticized Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations since taking office in September 2018, when, in the opening of her first session, she criticized Saudi practices that violated its promises and commitments. In March 2019, she criticized Saudi Arabia’s arrests of women, saying they contradicted claims of reform. In June 2019, the High Commissioner condemned human rights violations, especially the death penalty. In April 2019, she described the mass execution of children as horrific.
ESOHR welcomes the continuing light the High Commissioner is shedding on Saudi violations at the Council, especially as these violations persist and escalate. ESOHR hopes the Council will take more serious and strict measures against these violations, including seeking the approval of a special rapporteur especially for Saudi Arabia via UN work mechanisms.