Urgent call for release of Saudi human rights defenders

AbdulazizAl-Shubaili, Essa Al-Hamid, Abdulrahman Al-Hamid, Fowzan Al-Harbi, SalehAl-Ashwan, Sheikh Suliaman Al-Rashudi, Abdullah Al-Hamid, Mohammed Al-Qahtani,Abdulkareem Yousef Al-Khoder, Mohammed Saleh Al-Bajadi and Omar Al-Said, all members of the SaudiCivil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), faced unfair trials, and weresentenced to a total of nearly 200 years in prison sentences and travel bansfor their peaceful activism. The independent non-governmental organizationACPRA was established on 12 October 2009 to promote civil and political rightsin the country and to call for peaceful democratic reforms including aconstitutional monarchy, an elected parliament, an independent judiciary andfair trials. ACPRA also reported on human rights violations, helped victims andtheir relatives file legal claims against the responsible authorities and communicatedcases of human rights violations to UN human rights bodies. However, theorganisation was banned by the Saudi authorities five years ago today, on 9March 2013.

In London andWashington Mohamed Bin Salman is promoting his ambitious plans for economic andsocial change in the Kingdom as a bold agenda for reform. We believe thatgenuine reform must start with respect and safeguards for basic human rightsand freedoms. While the Crown Prince has promised that women in Saudi Arabiawill soon be allowed to drive for the first time in three decades, prisoners ofconscience who dared to advocate for women’s right to drive, such as Alaa Brinji and Essam Koshak, remain in jail serving lengthy sentences. Anotherprominent campaigner for women’s rights is human rights lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair, the founder ofMonitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, who was tried under counter-terrorismlegislation and sentenced in July 2014 to 15 years in prison. Saudi campaignersfor women’s rights regard the right to drive as only a first, small step towardequality and freedom for women, and are calling for a far more significant measure:ending the guardianship system that allows Saudi men to control many aspects oftheir daughters’, wives’, sisters’ and mothers’ lives.

However, all thosewithin the Kingdom who challenge Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, orpeacefully demand basic freedoms, face arbitrary detention, unfair trials andlengthy prison sentences.

We the undersigned callonce again on the Saudi authorities to release immediately and unconditionallyall the members of ACPRA who are still in prison, as well as all otherprisoners of conscience, and ensure a safe and conducive environment for humanrights defenders. We appeal to the Western leaders and officials meeting CrownPrince Mohamed Bin Salman and his delegation to urge them to release those whohave been detained for peacefully exercising their right to freedoms of expression,association and assembly, drop all outstanding charges related to their humanrights activities, and guarantee human rights and freedoms in Saudi Arabia asthe basis for all other reforms.

9 March 2018

- ALQST for Human Rights+442089047684

- HRW Tel:+961-1-217670 Fax: +961 1 217672 Email: beirut@hrw.org

- Alkarama +41 22 73410 07

- Amnesty International+4420 7033 1500

- FIDH, within theframework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders:Audrey Couprie: +33 6 48 05 91 57 / Samuel Hanryon: +33 6 72 28 42 94

- World OrganisationAgainst Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for theProtection of Human Rights Defenders: Delphine Reculeau: +41 22 809 49 39