Free Saudi women’s rights activists | sdbast


A joint statement by 36 countries on March 7, 2019 calling on Saudi Arabia to improve its human rights record was a landmark step toward justice and accountability, Human Rights Watch said today. The statement, delivered by Iceland at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, condemns the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, urges an end to Saudi Arabia’s use of counterterrorism regulations to target dissidents and human rights activists, and calls for the release of Saudi women’s rights activists detained beginning in May 2018.
Under the government that is effectively headed by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Saudi authorities have intensified a coordinated crackdown on dissidents, human rights activists, and independent clerics. Countries at the Human Rights Council should support the joint statement, which is a rare and significant opportunity to press Saudi Arabia over its human rights abuses. The statement remains open for further endorsement until at least the end of the session on March 22.
“The joint statement to Saudi Arabia at the UN Human Rights Council sends a strong message to Saudi authorities that it needs to end its abusive treatment of activists and dissidents,” said John Fisher, Geneva director at Human Rights Watch. “Council member states should stand in solidarity with detained Saudi activists, press for their immediate release and maintain scrutiny of Saudi Arabia until there is substantial improvement in its rights record and meaningful reform.”
The joint statement reflected concerns also raised by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who in her report to the council on March 6 noted that the persecution of peaceful activists clearly contradicts the spirit of Saudi Arabia’s proclaimed new reforms, and urged the released of the women’s rights defenders.
On May 15, 2018, just weeks before the Saudi authorities lifted the ban on women driving on June 24, authorities began arrests of prominent women’s rights activists and accused several of them of grave crimes like treason that appear to be directly related to their activism.
On March 1, Saudi Arabia’s public prosecution agency announced that the women’s rights activists would face charges and be put on trial. Human rights organizations began reporting in November that Saudi interrogators tortured at least four of the women, including by administering electric shocks, whipping the women on their thighs, and sexually harassing and assaulting them.
Saudi Arabia came under intense criticism in 2018 following the October 2 murder of the prominent Saudi journalist Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by Saudi agents. After weeks of denials and obfuscations, Saudi Arabia admitted to Khashoggi’s murder and announced the arrest of 18 people and the firing of senior officials. The Public Prosecution eventually charged 11 people in connection with the murder, including five against whom it is seeking the death penalty.
Saudi Arabia should cooperate fully with Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, on her inquiry into the Khashoggi murder. Callamard will present the report on her inquiry to the council at its next session, in June.
“As a member of the Human Rights Council, Saudi Arabia is required to maintain the ‘highest standards of human rights,’ yet there is a massive gap between the country’s dismal rights record and the international standards it is sworn to uphold,” Fisher said. “Council members should be subject to more scrutiny, not less, and we urge the council to keep Saudi Arabia on its agenda until we see an end to the brutal targeting of defenders and dissidents, and genuine reform.”

 

Source: Free Saudi women’s rights activists | sdbast

One thought on “Free Saudi women’s rights activists | sdbast

  1. I agree with John Fisher, Geneva director at Human Rights Watch that ‘Council member states should stand in solidarity with detained Saudi activists, press for their immediate release and maintain scrutiny of Saudi Arabia until there is substantial improvement in its rights record and meaningful reform.’

    “As a member of the Human Rights Council, Saudi Arabia is required to maintain the ‘highest standards of human rights,’ yet there is a massive gap between the country’s dismal rights record and the international standards it is sworn to uphold,” Fisher said. “Council members should be subject to more scrutiny, not less, and we urge the council to keep Saudi Arabia on its agenda until we see an end to the brutal targeting of defenders and dissidents, and genuine reform.”

    Saudi Arabia appears to grant Rights wi9th one hand and then take them away with the other.

    How are they allowed to get away with this? For being a member of the Human Rights Council, surely there should be some accountability that they should be held to. For it is not acceptable to promote and give Human Right, but then in practice not abide with them.

    How is it that Saudi can do this and why with all the evidence are they still allowed to be a member of the Human Rights Council, for it should be more than token membership, so is the Human Rights Council also not accountable for having members who are not abiding by the conditions of Human Rights.

    Surely Saudi cannot be left to do this but is it because of the believed influence of Saudi within the area of the all the Arabic States, if this is so, then all on the Council should be held to account.

    But unfortunately, Saudi is not alone on this, just look at the UK, where they are abandoning the Rights of vulnerable people with in the UK, while being not only a member of the UN, but are part of many other areas.

    So, with the UK and many other countries in the Western arena being allowed to withdraw or not upholding other rights of their citizens, why should Saudi Arabia be the only one to abide.

    All member countries should be held to account, for otherwise, what is the point of the UN and all its various councils and committees to continue. If they are not up to the job, then disband it and create some other facility which has the teeth and ability to do what it is there to uphold.

    Like

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