SAU003 / 0518 / OBS 073.1

Arbitrarydetention / Incommunicado detention /

Release

Judicialharassment

SaudiArabia

May25, 2018

TheObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDHand the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new informationand requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in SaudiArabia.

Newinformation:

TheObservatory has been informed by ALQST about the arrest and incommunicado detentionof Mr. Mohamed al-Bejadi, the ongoing arbitrary detention of humanrights defenders Ms. Eman al-Nafjan, Ms. Aziza al-Youssef, Ms. Loujainal-Hathloul, Mr. Mohammed al-Rabiah and Mr. Ibrahim al-Mudaimeegh as well as of the release ofMs. Madiha al-Ajroush, Ms.Hessah Al-Sheikh and Ms. Walaa Al-Shubbar.

Accordingto the information received, on May 24, 2018, Ms. Madiha al-Ajroush, Ms. Hessah Al-Sheikh and Ms. Walaa Al-Shubbar were released from Dahbanprison in Jeddah. All three humanrights defenders had been arrested within the wave of arrest on May 15,2018, which targeted several women’s rights activists ahead of the entry into force on June 24, 2018 ofthe Royal Decree that will allow women to drive.

In addition, on May 24, 2018, Mr. Mohamed al-Bejadi,founding member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA),was arrested after police forces raided his house in Buraidah at 11pm and tookhim to an unknown place. ACPRA had been shut down by the authorities in March2013.

Asof issuing this Urgent Appeal, Ms. Aziza al-Youssef,Ms. Loujain al-Hathloul, Ms. Eman al-Nafjan, Mr. Mohammed al-Rabiah and Mr. Ibrahim al-Mudaimeeghare reported to be detained in Dahban prison in Jeddah. Whilepro-governmental media outlets reported that they have been arrested undervague accusations of “suspicious contacts with foreign entities” and “financialsupport to enemies overseas”, no formal charges were reportedly pressed againstthem (see background information below).

TheObservatory expresses its utmost concern over this wave of arrests andarbitrary detentions, which only seems to aim at sanctioning peaceful andlegitimate human rights activities in particular in defence of women’s humanrights.

TheObservatory urges Saudi authorities to immediately disclose Mr. Mohamed al-Bejadi’s whereabouts and toensure that all detained human rights defenders have unhindered access to theirfamily and lawyers. Furthermore, the Observatory urges Saudi authorities to releasethe above-mentioned human rights defenders immediately and unconditionally, and to put an end to allacts of harassment against them as well as all human rights defenders in SaudiArabia.

Background information:

OnMay 15, 2018 at 2pm, Saudi police forces raided the home of Ms. Loujainal-Hathloul, arrested her in her bedroom and transferred her to Al-Ha'irprison, and then to Dahban prison in Jeddah. As of issuing this Urgent Appeal,she would still be detained in Dahban prison, although nobody has been able tocontact her since her arrest. In November 2014, Saudi authorities hadpreviously arrested Ms. al-Hathloul after she drove herself from Abu Dhabi tothe Saudi border. She was held at a juvenile detention centre for 73 daysbefore being released in February 2015. The authorities detained her again inJune 2017 when she arrived at Dammam airport but released her after severaldays.

Onthe same day, women's rights activist and psychoanalyst Madiha al-Ajroush wasalso arrested. Through her clinical practice, Ms. al-Ajroush has offered helpand psychotherapy to several victims of domestic violence as well as refugeechildren in camps in Lebanon and Jordan.

Withinthe same context, the authorities arrested prominent women’s rights activistAziza al-Youssef, from her home. She was one of the first to call for women tobe allowed to drive, and has been notably active in defending women’s rights,workers’ rights and civil and political rights. She tried to set up a refugefor battered women and girls who are not accepted back from government socialcare institutions by their families, but the authorities turned down herapplication. Pressure had mounted on Ms. al-Youssef over the past year, and shewas increasingly called in for questioning. The authorities prevented her fromcommenting on the Royal Decree allowing women to drive – which she, togetherwith other women’s rights activists, had brought about.

Thewave of arrest of May 15, 2018 also targeted well-known blogger and activistMs. Eman al-Nafjan, a leading campaigner for women’s rights and human rights ingeneral.

Onthe same day, the authorities arrested Ms. Aisha al-Mana, Dean of Al ManaCollege and one of Saudi Arabia’s earliest feminists. She took part in the 1990campaign against the ban on women driving, in which she and some other womendrove their cars, and wrote a book on the topic, entitled The Sixth ofNovember. She was previously imprisoned and threatened by the authorities.Ms. Aisha al-Mana was released on May 23.

Twoother women's rights defenders, Ms. Hessah Al-Sheikh, one of the leadingcampaigners of the right of women to drive, and Ms. Walaa Al-Shubbar, adefender of victims of domestic violence as well as campaigner against the maleguardianship system, were also arrested on the same day, together with Mr.Mohammed al-Rabiah, an active supporter of women’s right to drive.

Authoritiesalso proceeded on May 15, 2018, to the arrest of Mr. Ibrahim al-Mudaimeegh, aformer member of the Saudi Council of Ministers’ Commission of Experts andSaudi Arabia’s most prominent lawyer. Mr. al-Mudaimeegh has handled pro bonodefence in some of the most sensitive cases in the country, and took on thecases of several members of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association(ACPRA). He defended human rights activists Ms. Al-Hathloul and Messrs. WaleedAbu al-Khair, Mohamed al-Oteibi, Abdullah al-Atawi, EssamKoshak, Essa al-Nukhaifi and many other prisoners of conscience. Hehas also spoke out against Israeli crimes toward the Palestinian people and onother human rights issues, which led authorities to force him to close down hisTwitter account in November 2017. OnMay 5, 2018, Mr. Ibrahim al-Mudaimeegh went to the airport on his way to getmedical treatment abroad but found himself unexpectedly prevented fromtravelling, and when he tried to ascertain the reason for the travel ban he wasmet with personal abuse and threatened with arrest for asking why he had beenbanned from travelling. He continued to be harassed and threatened until beingarrested on May 15, 2018.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities in Saudi Arabia asking them to:

i.Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Ms.Eman al-Nafjan, Ms. Aziza al-Youssef, Ms. Loujain al-Hathloul, Ms. Aishaal-Mana, Ms. Madiha al-Ajroush, Ms. Hessah Al-Sheikh, Ms. Walaa Al-Shubbar, Mr.Mohammed al-Rabiah, Mr. Mohamed al-Bejadi, and Mr. Ibrahimal-Mudaimeegh as well as all human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia;

ii.Immediately disclose Mr. Mohamed al-Bejadi’s whereabouts;

iii. Ensure all detained human rightsdefenders have unhindered access to their family and lawyers;

iii.Immediately and unconditionally release Ms. Eman al-Nafjan, Ms. Azizaal-Youssef, Ms. Loujain al-Hathloul, Mr. Mohammed al-Rabiah, Mr. Mohamed al-Bejadi and Mr. Ibrahim al-Mudaimeegh, as well as all detained human rights defenders inSaudi Arabia, as their detention is arbitrary since it only aims atpunishing them for their legitimate human rights activities;

iv. Putan end to all forms of harassment, including at the judicial level, against Ms.Eman al-Nafjan, Ms. Aziza al-Youssef, Ms. Loujain al-Hathloul, Ms. Aishaal-Mana, Ms. Madiha al-Ajroush, Ms. Hessah Al-Sheikh, Ms. Walaa Al-Shubbar, Mr.Mohammed al-Rabiah, Mr. Mohamed al-Bejadi and Mr. Ibrahimal-Mudaimeegh and all humanrights defenders in the country so they are able to carry out their workwithout unjustified hindrance and fear of reprisal;

v. Comply in all circumstances with all the provisionsof the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in particular itsArticles 1, 6(c) and 12.2;

vi. More generally, ensure in all circumstances therespect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance withinternational human rights standards and instruments.

Addresses:

· HisMajesty, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia and Custodianof the two Holy Mosques, Fax: (via Ministry of the Interior) +966 11 403 3125;Email: info@moi.gov.sa; Twitter:@KingSalman

· HisExcellency, Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Fax:(via Ministry of the Interior) +966 11 403 3125; Email: info@moi.gov.sa

· H.E. Waleedbin Mohammad Al Samaani, Minister of Justice, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Fax: +966 11 405 7777; Email: info@moj.gov.sa

· His RoyalHighness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud Bin Naif Bin Abdulaziz, Minister ofInterior, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Fax: + 966 11 401 1111 / + 966 11 401 1944 /+ 966 11 403 1125; Email: info@moi.gov.sa

· H.E. Adelbin Ahmed El Jubeir, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fax: + 966 11 403 0645 ;Email: info@mofa.gov.sa

· H.E.Abdulaziz Alwasil, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabiato the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland. Fax: +41 22 758 00 00.Email: saudiamission@bluewin.ch

· H.E.Abdulrahman bin Soliman Al-Ahmed, Ambassador, Embassy of Saudi Arabia inBrussels, Belgium. Fax: +32 2 6468538. Email: beemb@mofa.gov.sa

Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Saudi Arabia inyour respective countries.

***

Paris-Geneva, May 25, 2018

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of thisappeal in your reply.

The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to theprotection of human rights defenders and aims to offer them concrete support intheir time of need. FIDH and OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanismimplemented by international civil society.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:

· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Tel and fax FIDH: +33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / 01 43 55 18 80

· Tel and fax OMCT: + 41 22 809 4939 / + 41 22 809 49 29