The All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group (PHRG) held this meeting to discuss human rights in Saudi Arabia.
The PHRG would like to thank PHRG Secretary, Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, for chairing this meeting.
The event featured the following speakers:
- James Lynch, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa programme, Amnesty International (“JL”);
- Yahya Assiri, Head of NGO ALQST (“Advocating for Human Rights in Saudi Arabia”) (“YA”);
- Ann Harrison, Director of the Freedom to Write Programme of PEN International (“AH”).
The main points raised by the speakers were as follows:
- Almost every activist or human rights defender is behind bars or has fled the country as part of a wider crackdown in Saudi Arabia, following the Arab Spring. (JL)
- The mass execution of 47 people in January this year included Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, causing widespread protests. (JL)
- The Shia cleric’s nephew Ali al-Nimr is currently facing execution for crimes he committed when he was a minor. He had no real access to a lawyer during his trial and it is likely that the evidence against him was obtained through torture. (JL)
- There has recently been a surge in executions, which started in August 2014. (JL)
- There have been flagrant violations of international law by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. (JL)
- Saudi activists continue to pay a high price for their work defending human rights and there is widespread impunity for violating human rights. (YA)
- There are many abuses in Saudi prisons, including the use of torture. Prisoners who have been tortured are at grave risk if they talk about it. (YA)
- As an activist, Yahya Assiri has had to leave Saudi and apply for asylum. (YA)
- The human rights situation in Saudi will not improve without external pressure because all internal pressure is quashed. (YA)
- Saudi Arabia is 164th out of 180 countries on the Reporters without Borders Index on Press freedom. Digital surveillance in the country is rampant. (AH)
- Saudi judges have so much discretion over what is a crime that it is hard to know what is illegal. (AH)
- The Saudi anti-terrorism law is broadly worded and widely used against bloggers and others on internet. Many people are also prosecuted under the blasphemy laws. Saudi even tries to restrict freedom of expression overseas, e.g. in Kuwait. (AH)
- Freedom of expression cases are so compelling, and international pressure in respect of these cases is very important. (AH)
- The UK needs to provide more support to Saudi human rights defenders. This would make UK foreign policy more balanced. (JL)
- The UK should also invest more in cultural relations between the two countries to promote dialogue and understanding, particularly by working with the Education Ministry. (AH)
- Raising the profile of individuals at risk in Saudi in the UK Parliament remains a useful way to highlight human rights abuses in the country. (JL)
Practical steps that the UK Government can take on Saudi Arabia were discussed. They include questioning Saudi’s position on the UN Human Rights Council, considering suspending arms sales to the country until there has been proper investigation of abuses in Yemen and publicly supporting the work of Saudi human rights defenders.
The PHRG will continue to monitor human rights in Saudi Arabia closely and draw attention to human rights defenders at risk in the country.