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| Saudi Arabia National Society for Human Rights Reports |
Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp and Human Rights Violations “Since 9/11, the name of Guantanamo has been so much in use in the media. It is a name of a small Cuban island, neighboring the borders of the United States, located 90 miles off the coast of Florida, and inhabited by 280,000 people, most of whom are cotton and sugar cane farmers. The Guantanamo American Naval Base is located on this island. In 1903, Cuba agreed to its then neighbor and friend, the USA at that time, to enjoy the privilege of using the island out of gratitude for the support provided by the Americans to Cubans in their resistance to the Spanish occupation, for an annual nominal rent. Upon the Cuban Revolution after World War II, the US refused to evacuate the base and leave the island, strongly holding to the previous agreement. The US continued to pay annual rent although the Cuban Government has suspended cashing off the checks issued by the US as the island’s rent for approximately 50 years. At the outset of what the US calls the war on terror, the American naval base on this island grew more important to the American government, who made it the headquarters of one of the worst detention camps in human history, keeping it as central to the war on terror. At this point, an old dilemma appeared consisting of the requirements of war versus individual rights. This is clearly shown in this detention camp resting side by side with American democracy, which claims to protect human rights throughout the world. It was observed that the American administration is very concerned to put the detainees in this detention camp in a legal void where they can neither benefit from the protection guaranteed by the American laws, nor benefit from the protection insured by international laws.” |
The Final Report of the Supervision on the Municipal Elections “This report presents a comprehensive review of the procedures and the steps that were adopted to accomplish the supervision operations on elections in the voting and in the votes counting stages. It deals with the methods of preparing for participation, communication with the General Elections Committee in the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Communication with the International Organizations, and then the constitution of the National Council for the Supervision of Elections. The report, also, sheds light on the mechanism of information collection, reviewing the related international literature and extracting the international supervision criterion. The report, further, reviews the plan for attracting supervisors and volunteers and the workshops that were organized in the different cities of the Kingdom to train them, on supervision operations. The review also included looking into the resources availability for financing supervision affairs. The report is concluded by demonstrating the findings and recommendations.” |
Second Report on The Status of Human Rights 2010 “The report has contributed to brightening up the image of the Kingdom abroad owing to the legislative information it included on local legislative affairs. This is what has transpired to the Society from the foreign delegations that have visited it, or what some of its have members overheard while participating in some forums and symposia abroad. In allowing for the issuance of an internal legislative report, the Saudi government is emphasizing its intention to do reform and its acceptance of constructive criticism of its various governmental bodies. We will refrain from reiterating talk about the theoretical side that has been dealt with in the first report. That was certainly important at the time in order to show the existence of the legislative and legal laws that protect human rights in the Kingdom. In this report, however, emphasis will be laid on a direct diagnosis of reality, and on getting acquainted with the developments that have occurred in some areas that have been dealt with in the first report, and determine the extent to which the situation has improved, worsened, or remained status quo. In addition, for the last four years the society has continued receiving complaints, which amounted to 12,400 distributed as follows: administrative (26%), inmates (18%), labor (12%), legal (6%), civil affairs (7%), personal affairs (7%), family violence (8%), other (17%). In 1428H, complaints amounted to 3,800 distributed as follows: administrative (33%), inmates (18%), labor (9%), legal (6%), civil affairs (9%), personal affairs (8%), family violence (7%), other (12%).” |
The Statistical Book for the year 2004. The Statistical Book for the year 2005. The Statistical Book for the year 2006. “The three statistical books in figures are showing the numbers and Genders of complaints submitted to the Society since its foundation in 18/1/1425 corresponding to 9/3/2004 up to the end of 1427 (2006) which amounted to 8,568 . These complaints were collected and classified by the Information, Statistics and Authentication Center of the society. The complaints are classified into eight main categories: Administrative, prisoners, labor, family violence, civil affairs, personal affairs, judicial and “Other” cases. Each category was divided into segments, for instance the personal affairs cases include divorce complaints, nursery, alimony, suspension, removal of guardianship, prevention from seeing children, prevention from inheritance etc.” |
| U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Reports |
Human Rights and Democracy. The 2011 Foreign & Commonwealth Office Report “Overall, the Saudi Arabian government’s approach to human rights, led by the king, has been to continue making incremental improvements, while recognising the tensions between reform and tradition in this inherently conservative kingdom. Despite encouraging signs of improvement and some notable announcements by the Saudi Arabian government in 2011, the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia remains of concern. On a positive note, the policing response to protests and demonstrations in the Eastern Province from the Shia community voicing their aspirations for greater economic, social and political equality, and calling for the release of Shia prisoners and the return of Saudi forces from Bahrain appears to have been proportionate. However, a revised media law was introduced, placing further restrictions on criticism of religious and government figures, and there was an alarming rise in the number of executions. While judicial reform has continued to be a priority for the Saudi Arabian government, the length of detentions without trial remains a concern. A leaked copy of a draft counter-terrorism law suggested a move toward clamping down on dissent as well as terrorist activity, and a further shifting of power from the judiciary to the Ministry of Interior – our understanding is that this draft has since been substantially amended. Women’s rights featured prominently. King Abdullah announced that women would be allowed to vote and stand in the next elections and he stated his intention to appoint women to the Shura Council in 2013. In addition, the king announced a number of measures to increase the employment of women. We note that the “Riyadh Declaration”, issued at the end of the December Gulf Cooperation Council Summit (GCC), stressed, among other points, the need to speed up the process of development and comprehensive reform in GCC countries so as to achieve greater participation of all citizens, men and women. There was a renewed interest in the issue of women driving in the summer, supported by social network campaigns, although there has been no move by the government to encourage its social acceptability. In 2011, our goals included taking every opportunity to raise our priority issues of women’s rights, the death penalty, the rights of foreign workers, and judicial reform; gaining acceptance of our right to raise specific concerns either bilaterally or with partners; encouraging the Ministry of Rural and Municipal Affairs to proceed with plans for municipal elections and pressing for women’s participation; working with the National Family Safety Programme in support of its campaign in schools on children’s rights; and supporting the Shura Council in their wish to learn more about parliamentary oversight procedures. Our strategy remains to work with Saudi society, advocating reform within the existing constitutional framework, to build support for full application of human rights standards. In 2011, this involved organising visits and meetings with key Saudi Arabian interlocutors to deepen mutual understanding on human rights issues. The Foreign Secretary, Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt, and our Ambassador engaged in dialogue with Saudi Arabian ministers, officials and human rights organisations to raise our concerns and understand Saudi perceptions of the issues and the pace of change. We welcomed the positive announcements on women’s rights and the Shura Council’s decision to recommend a minimum age of 17 for marriage, following a campaign supported by the UK for greater children’s rights. Our objective of increasing understanding of parliamentary oversight was met by exchange visits to the UK and Saudi Arabia by members of the Shura Council and the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for Saudi Arabia, which the UK Government facilitated. Looking ahead to 2012, we expect further demonstrations during the course of the year. The internal debate in Saudi Arabia regarding women’s rights is also likely to continue, including issues such as the right to drive and greater equality in the workplace and wider society. We expect the Saudi justice system to move towards greater transparency and openness, particularly in corporate law.” |
| U.S. Department of State’s Reports |
2000 Human Rights Report: Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is a monarchy without elected representative institutions or political parties. It is ruled by King Fahd Bin Abd Al-Aziz Al Saud, a son of King Abd Al-Aziz Al Saud, who unified the country in the early 20th century. Since the death of King Abd Al-Aziz, the King and Crown Prince have been chosen from among his sons, who themselves have had preponderant influence in the choice. A 1992 royal decree reserves for the King exclusive power to name the Crown Prince. Crown Prince Abdullah has played an increasing role in governance since King Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995. The Government has declared the Islamic holy book the Koran, and the Sunna (tradition) of the Prophet Muhammad, to be the country's Constitution. The Government bases its legitimacy on governance according to the precepts of a rigorously conservative form of Islam. Neither the Government nor society in general accepts the concept of separation of religion and state. The Government prohibits the establishment of political parties and suppresses opposition views. In 1992 King Fahd appointed a Consultative Council, or Majlis Ash-Shura, and similar provincial assemblies. The Majlis, a strictly advisory body, began holding sessions in 1993 and was expanded in 1997. The judiciary is generally independent but is subject to influence by the executive branch and members of the royal family. Police and border forces under the Ministry of Interior are responsible for internal security. The Mutawwa'in, or religious police, constitute the Committee to Prevent Vice and Promote Virtue, a semiautonomous agency that enforces adherence to Islamic norms by monitoring public behavior. The Government maintains general control of the security forces. However, members of the security forces committed human rights abuses. The oil industry has fueled the transformation of Saudi Arabia from a pastoral, agricultural, and commercial society to a rapidly urbanizing one, characterized by large-scale infrastructure projects, an extensive social welfare system, and a labor market comprised largely of foreign workers. Oil revenues account for around 55 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 80 percent of government income. Agriculture accounts for only about 6 percent of GDP. Government spending, including spending on the national airline, power, water, telephone, education, and health services, accounts for 24 percent of GDP. About 40 percent of the economy is nominally private, and the Government is promoting further privatization of the economy. In 1995 the Government began an aggressive campaign to increase the number of Saudi nationals represented in the public and private work forces. The campaign has restricted employment of some categories of foreign workers by limiting certain occupations to Saudis only, increasing fees for some types of work visas, and setting minimum wages for some job categories in order to increase the cost to employers of non-Saudi labor. In August 1998, the Government announced that citizens had to constitute at least 5 percent of the work force in private sector companies by October 1998, an amount that, according to a 1995 ministerial decree, should be 15 percent. Despite a crackdown on illegal workers and the citizens who employ or house them, the program has continued to fall short of its goal of increasing the Saudi percentage of the work force by 5 percent each year. The Government's human rights record remained generally poor in a number of areas; however, its record showed limited improvement in some areas. Citizens have neither the right nor the legal means to change their government. Security forces continued to abuse detainees and prisoners, arbitrarily arrest and detain persons, and facilitate incommunicado detention; in addition there were allegations that security forces committed torture. Prolonged detention without charge is a problem. Security forces committed such abuses, in contradiction to the law, but with the acquiescence of the Government. Mutawwa'in (religious police, who constitute the Committee to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice) continued to intimidate, abuse, and detain citizens and foreigners. The Government infringes on citizens' privacy rights. The Government prohibits or restricts freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, religion, and movement. However, during the year the Government tolerated a wider range of debate and criticism in the press concerning domestic issues. Other continuing problems included discrimination and violence against women, discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, and strict limitations on worker rights. The Government views its interpretation of Islamic law as its sole source of guidance on human rights and disagrees with internationally accepted definitions of human rights. However, during the year, the Government initiated limited measures to participate in international human rights mechanisms. For example, it invited to the country the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers and acceded to (with reservations) the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. |
2001 Human Rights Report: Saudi Arabia “The Government's human rights record remained poor. Citizens have neither the right nor the legal means to change their government. Security forces continued to abuse detainees and prisoners, arbitrarily arrest and detain persons, and hold them in incommunicado detention. In addition there were allegations that security forces committed torture. On October 1, the Council of Ministers approved a new law regarding punitive measures that would forbid harming detainees and to allow those accused of crimes to hire a lawyer or legal agent. The law became effective in November; however, at year's end, there were no reports of its implementation. Prolonged detention without charge is a problem. Security forces committed such abuses, in contradiction to the law, but with the acquiescence of the Government. The Mutawwa'in continued to intimidate, abuse, and detain citizens and foreigners. Most trials are closed, and defendants usually appear before judges without legal counsel. The Government infringes on citizens' privacy rights. The Government prohibits or restricts freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, religion, and movement. However, during the year, the Government continued to tolerate a wider range of debate and criticism in the press concerning domestic issues. Other continuing problems included discrimination and violence against women, discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, and strict limitations on worker rights. The Government views its interpretation of Islamic law as its sole source of guidance on human rights and disagrees with internationally accepted definitions of human rights. However, in 2000 and during the year, the Government initiated limited measures to participate in international human rights mechanisms, such as its approval of the October legislation, which the Government claimed would address some of its obligations under the Convention Against Torture or Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.” |
2002 Human Rights Report: Saudi Arabia “The Government's human rights record remained poor; although there were some improvements in a few areas, serious problems remained. Citizens did not have the right or the legal means to change their government. Security forces continued to abuse detainees and prisoners, arbitrarily arrest and detain persons, and hold them in incommunicado detention. Security forces committed torture. In 2001 the Council of Ministers approved a new law regarding punitive measures that would forbid harming detainees and to allow those accused of crimes to hire a lawyer or legal agent. On May 1, the new Saudi Criminal Procedural Law went into effect. Prolonged detention without charge was a problem. Security forces committed such abuses, in contradiction to the law, but with the acquiescence of the Government. The Mutawwa'in continued to intimidate, abuse, and detain citizens and foreigners. Most trials were closed, and defendants usually appeared before judges without legal counsel. The Government infringed on citizens' privacy rights. The Government prohibited or restricted freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, religion, and movement. However, during the year, the Government continued to tolerate a wider range of debate and criticism in the press concerning domestic issues. Discrimination and violence against women, discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, and strict limitations on worker rights continued. The Government viewed its interpretation of Islamic law as its sole source of guidance on human rights and disagreed with internationally accepted definitions of human rights. However, in the past and during the year, the Government initiated limited measures to participate in international human rights activities, such as its welcome in October of the visit of the U.N. Human Rights envoy following the Government's implementation in May of its new bill of rights Criminal Procedure Code, which the Government claimed would address some of its obligations under the Convention Against Torture or Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.” |
2004 Human Rights Report: Saudi Arabia “The Government's human rights record remained poor overall with continuing serious problems, despite some progress. Citizens did not have the right to change their government. Security forces continued to abuse detainees and prisoners, arbitrarily arrest, and hold persons in incommunicado detention. There were cases in which Mutawwa'in continued to intimidate, abuse, and detain citizens and foreigners. Most trials were closed, and defendants usually appeared before judges without legal counsel. Security forces arrested and detained reformers, some of whom continued at year's end to seek an open trial. The Government reportedly infringed on individuals' privacy rights. The Government continued to restrict freedoms of speech and press, assembly, association, religion, and movement. There was widespread public perception that corruption by some members of the royal family and in the executive branch of the Government was a serious problem. There was little government transparency, especially notable in official budgets, and with no laws providing the right to access government information. The Government continued to discriminate against women, ethnic and religious minorities and to impose strict limitations on worker rights. On November 23, the Government began registering non-military, male citizens and candidates for the country's first nationwide municipal elections. Municipal elections for 4-year terms to half of the seats on 178 local councils are slated to take place between February and April 2005. Women were not permitted to vote or run for office. In June, the King Abd Al-Aziz Center for National Dialogue held its third conference in a series intended "to build and enhance a culture of dialogue in Saudi society." The government-sponsored conference focused on the issue of "women's rights and obligations and the educational correlation." The Fourth National Dialogue in December focused on "Youth Issues: Realities and Aspirations" and recommended developing the curricula to cultivate among Saudi pupils "the values of moderation, the middle path, and respect for others-–and to make them accustomed to conducting discussion and debate." The newly formed government-patronized National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), the first human rights group which the Government has formally permitted to operate in the country, began to address some human rights violations, such as prison conditions. In October, the Government amended the naturalization law to permit some long-term residents to apply for citizenship. This step was particularly significant for the thousands of Bidoons (descendants of stateless nomads) residing in the country.” |
2005 Human Rights Report: Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by the Al Saud family without elected representative institutions at the national level and with a 2004 population of approximately 26.7 million of which an estimated 7 million were foreign citizens. On August 1, King Abdullah bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud ascended the throne upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud. As the custodian of Islam's two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, the government bases its legitimacy in governance according to its interpretation of Islamic law (Shari'a). The Basic Law sets out the system of government, rights of citizens, powers, and duties of the state, and provides that the Koran and the Traditions (Sunna) of the Prophet Muhammad serve as the country's constitution. The government generally maintained effective control over the security forces. Human rights issues have not historically been the subject of public discourse but have become increasingly prominent during the year. The government's human rights record remained poor overall with continuing serious problems, despite some progress. The following human rights problems were reported: • no right to change the government • infliction of severe pain by judicially sanctioned corporal punishments • beatings and other abuses • arbitrary arrest • incommunicado detention • denial of fair public trials • exemption from the rule of law for some individuals and lack of judicial independence • political prisoners • infringement of privacy rights • significant restriction of civil liberties--freedoms of speech and press, assembly, association, and movement • no religious freedom • widespread perception of corruption • lack of government transparency • legal and societal discrimination against women, religious and other minorities • strict limitations on worker rights. For the first time since 1963, elections for governmental bodies occurred during the year. On February 10, March 3, and April 21, a male electorate chose 592 members, half of the seats, on 178 advisory municipal councils. Women were not permitted to vote or stand for office. On December 14, the king and crown prince appointed the other half of the council members. During the year public attention to human rights increased; unlike in previous years, human rights issues were discussed in the media. On September 12, the Council of Ministers approved the establishment of the Human Rights Commission, a specialized governmental entity, aimed at protecting and enhancing human rights as well as raising public awareness and ensuring the implementation of human rights in line with Shari'a rule.” |
2006 Human Rights Report: Saudi Arabia “The following significant human rights problems were reported: no right to peacefully change the government; infliction of severe pain by judicially sanctioned corporal punishments; beatings and other abuses; inadequate prison and detention center conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, sometimes incommunicado; denial of fair public trials; exemption from the rule of law for some individuals and lack of judicial independence; arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home, and correspondence; and significant restriction of civil liberties--freedoms of speech and press, including the Internet; assembly; association; and movement. The government committed severe violations of religious freedom. There was a widespread perception of serious corruption and a lack of government transparency, as well as legal and societal discrimination and violence against women. Other religious, ethnic, and minority groups faced discrimination. There were strict limitations on worker rights, especially for foreign workers. There was greater involvement in government activities by the Majlis Al-Shura (the Consultative Council) and the 178 municipal councils. Despite increased public and media discourse about human rights, the overall human rights environment remained poor.” |
2007 Human Rights Report: Saudi Arabia “During the year, the following significant human rights problems were reported: no right to peacefully change the government; infliction of severe pain by judicially sanctioned corporal punishments; beatings and other abuse; arbitrary arrest and detention, sometimes incommunicado; denial of fair public trials; political prisoners; exemption for the rule of law for some individuals and lack of judicial independence; restrictions on civil liberties such as the freedoms of speech, including the Internet, assembly, association, movement, and religion; corruption and lack of government transparency. Violence against women and discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, sect, and ethnicity were common. Limitations on the rights of foreign workers remained a severe problem. Improvements during the year included less restriction on some issues reported in the media, including complaints against the government and a lifting of restrictions on several banned books. According to human rights activists from an un-licensed nongovernmental organization (NGO), the Ministry of Interior (MOI) allegedly sought to enforce a ban on the use of torture by police officers and dismissed some officers failing to adhere to this ban. Sources reported that women’s participation in the teaching, nursing, and care-provider professions increased.” |
2008 Human Rights Report: Saudi Arabia |
2009 Human Rights Report: Saudi Arabia “Significant human rights achievements during the year included implementation of the overhaul of the kingdom's judicial system announced in 2007 that included the establishment of a new supreme court, regional appeals courts, and specialized courts for general, criminal, personal status, commercial, and labor cases; systematic review of judicial decisions; and transferring responsibility for hiring, training and supervision of judges from the Ministry of Justice to the reorganized Supreme Judicial Council. Supporting these reforms, the king reorganized the Senior Council of Religious Scholars to include representatives of all four schools of Sunni jurisprudence to broaden the sources for Shari’a (Islamic law) interpretations. The passage of a new Law to Combat Trafficking in Persons has led to training of law enforcement officials on the application of the law. The first coeducational university, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, opened its doors and the king appointed the first female cabinet-level official, a deputy minister for women's education.” |
2010 Human Rights Report: Saudi Arabia “The following significant human rights problems were reported: no right to change the government peacefully; torture and physical abuse; poor prison and detention center conditions; arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention; denial of fair and public trials and lack of due process in the judicial system; political prisoners; restrictions on civil liberties such as freedoms of speech (including the Internet), assembly, association, movement, and severe restrictions on religious freedom; and corruption and lack of government transparency. Violence against women and a lack of equal rights for women, violations of the rights of children, trafficking in persons, and discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, sect, and ethnicity were common. The lack of workers' rights, including the employment sponsorship system, remained a severe problem. Increased efforts to protect women and children against domestic violence through the National Family Safety Program, as well as the Human Rights Commission, reflected a significant human rights achievement.” |
2011 Human Rights Report The world changed immeasurably over the course of 2011. Across the Middle East, North Africa, and far beyond, citizens stood up to demand respect for human dignity, more promising economic opportunities, greater political liberties, and a say in their own future. Often they faced tremendous odds and endured violent responses from their governments. The resulting upheavals are still unfolding today in places like Syria, where the regime has brutalized its own people. In Burma, after years of repression, the government has taken preliminary steps to allow reforms to begin. This year’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices chronicle these dramatic changes and the stories of the people defending human rights in almost 200 countries around the world. Congress mandated these country reports more than three decades ago to help guide lawmakers’ decisions on foreign military and economic aid, but they have evolved into something more. Today, governments, intergovernmental organizations, scholars, journalists, activists, and others around the world rely on these reports as an essential update on human rights conditions around the world – where we have seen progress, where progress has come too slowly or at great cost, and all too often, where it has been rolled back. Our reports are founded on the simple truth at the heart of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – that all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Respect for human rights is not a western construct or a uniquely American ideal; it is the foundation for peace and stability everywhere. Universal human rights include the right of citizens to assemble peacefully and to seek to reform or change their governments, a central theme around the world in 2011. As President Obama has said, “History offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable, and more successful than governments that do not.” In my travels around the world as Secretary of State, I have met many individuals who put their lives on the line to advance the cause of human rights and justice. In ways small and large, they hold their governments accountable for upholding universal human rights. Their courage and commitment to peaceful reform are an inspiration. This report recognizes their bravery and should serve as a reminder: The United States stands with all those who seek to advance human dignity, and we will continue to shine the light of international attention on their efforts. These reports are part of our broad commitment to promote human rights. Every day, officials from the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and many other government agencies devote themselves to advancing human rights as a priority of U.S. foreign policy. They champion our values in every country of the world and stand up for the inherent rights and freedoms of all people. I am honored to work alongside them, and I thank them for their contributions to this report. On behalf of all of them, and everyone around the world working to protect human rights, I hereby transmit the Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011 to the United States Congress.” |