For a considerable amount of time, Saudi Arabia has been accountable for flagrant breaches of human rights. These infractions cover a wide variety of topics, which appear in both legislation and practice. These include the harsh suppression of the rights to free speech, peaceful assembly, and association, as well as the continued use of the death sentence and disrespect for the concepts of due process and fair trial. This persistent trend emphasizes how urgently reform, strict control, and human rights protection are needed.
The Facade of progress
In theory, the Saudi Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has been in charge of advancing and defending human rights in the nation since its founding in 2005. The SHRC is tasked with handling human rights complaints, working on legislation, and keeping an eye on detention centers, among other human rights-related duties. It is theoretically an autonomous body that may advance human rights in practice and hold the government responsible.
That being said, there are theoretical and practical reasons to doubt the SHRC’s ability to effectively carry out this crucial function. UN human rights authorities strongly advise National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to apply for accreditation from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI). These institutions undergo an accreditation procedure that evaluates them in accordance with international norms that the UN General Assembly set, often known as the Paris Principles. Nevertheless, the SHRC has never applied to the GANHRI for accreditation, and neither its efficacy nor independence have ever been evaluated globally.
Limited scope and autonomy
The Arab Charter on Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) are all ratified by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189), and the International Criminal Court (ICC) have not been ratified by Saudi Arabia.
Selective enforcement and lack of accountability
The Public Prosecution Office, which is primarily responsible for investigating activities that are illegal under the 2017 Law on Combating Terrorism Crimes and its Financing (2017 Counter-Terrorism Law) and apprehending suspects, is closely partnered with the SSP. Significantly, the PPO is now empowered to breach international legal standards for due process and imprisonment according to the 2017 Counter-Terrorism Law and Royal Decree No. 125/M, which increases its authority. In the last 10 years, Saudi Arabia’s public space has practically vanished.
This is particularly true now that the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), one of the last human rights organizations still in existence that supported constitutional amendments, was outlawed on April 9, 2013. Based on nebulous accusations, the SCC prosecuted and convicted all founding members of ACPRA to significant jail terms. Even when their prison terms are up, Saudi officials continue to detain these human rights advocates. For example, well-known human rights advocate and co-founder of ACPRA Mohammad al-Qahtani continues to be detained incommunicado in cruel jail circumstances even after his 10-year sentence has elapsed, in spite of repeated requests for his release from third nations, UN experts, and civil society.
Silencing dissent and repression
Despite the widespread belief that Saudi Arabia is making progress in its human rights record, our research indicates otherwise. In recent years, arbitrary arrest has been routinely used to muzzle peaceful opposing voices, enforced disappearance has become a more potent tactic of repression, and the number of executions has significantly increased. Despite provisions in Saudi Arabia’s Basic Law that prohibit arbitrary imprisonment, the report’s writers have compiled a list of many instances in which basic legal protections were broken. People are frequently detained without a warrant or any other explanation. The right of those detained by the SSP to contest the legality of their custody in court is often denied to them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Saudi Arabia is still the third most executed nation in the world, with three times as many executions in 2022 as in 2021. It also keeps threatening to put people to death for crimes they may have committed as kids. Furthermore, the death sentence is still used by Saudi authorities to offenses involving the enjoyment of basic liberties, such participating in funerals for torture victims or staging protests. UN Special Procedures raised grave concerns in May 2022 about the impending death of al-Howeitat tribal members who had demonstrated against their forced relocation in order to build the NEOM megacity.