This page summarizes cases raised with Saudi Arabia by the Special Rapporteur between May 1, 2011, (when the Special Rapporteur took up his functions) and February 28, 2017 (the date of the last public release of communications). Communications are released to the public once per year. This page also contains observations on these communications and on responses received from Saudi Arabia. Communications and observations are divided into sections based upon which observation report they originally appeared. Each communication is referenced as urgent appeal (UA), allegation letter (AL), joint urgent appeal (JUA) and joint allegation letter (JAL) - the hyperlinks lead to these documents. This is followed by the date the communication was issued, as well as the case number and the State reply (also hyperlinked if available). Summaries and communications are published only in the language of submission (in the case of Saudi Arabia, English). First Report (May 1, 2011 to March 15, 2012) None Second Report (March 16, 2012 to February 28, 2013) Joint urgent appeal, 03/05/2012. Case no. SAU 7/2012. State Reply: 01/02/2013. Allegations of acts of intimidation, excessive use of force and arbitrary detention against individuals exercising peacefully their rights to freedom of association, of peaceful... Continue reading →
GENEVA – The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has renewed its call for Saudi Arabia to release nine human rights activists who were jailed after participating in activities relating to the promotion and protection of human rights. Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai and a number of other UN experts have endorsed their call. The men should be freed immediately as their detention is in violation of international human rights standards, according to the expert panel which assesses cases independently in the light of international law. The expert panel said there had still been no move to free the men, one year after it had delivered its formal opinion that their deprivation of liberty is arbitrary, being in contravention of articles 9, 10, 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “The Working Group reiterates its call for the immediate release of the detainees and the provision of reparations for the harm caused,” the group said. “We would like to remind Saudi Arabia of its obligations vis-à-vis these individuals, and we also recommend that it releases all those in similar situations.” Most of the jailed activists had ties with the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA), a prominent human rights group which worked for legal, political and... Continue reading →
Issue No. 18 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • Full coverage of the Special Rapporteur's recently-completed mission to South Korea • Call for submissions for the UNSR’s next report: Exploring fundamentalism’s impact on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association • UNSR releases annual report recapping 2015 • UN experts urge review of UK surveillance bill threatening freedom of expression • Stop harassment of human rights defenders in occupied Palestinian Territory – UN experts • Alarms over Saudi Arabia’s growing clampdown on freedom of expression • Fundamental freedoms key to ensuring peaceful and fair elections in Venezuela • UN rights experts urge France to protect fundamental rights while countering terrorism • UN experts urge Ethiopia to halt crackdown on protesters, ensure accountability • Freedom of association and assembly: By the numbers • Special Rapporteur news in brief: December 2015 - January 2016 • World briefing: Freedom of assembly and association in the news For a link to the newsletter, click on the image at right or click here (1.9MB file) or here (4.5MB full... Continue reading →
GENEVA – United Nations human rights expert David Kaye today expressed grave concern at the growing repression of freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia. He noted a string of severe punishments against individuals for the holding and expressing of opinions, including human rights defenders and bloggers, Raif Badawi and Mikhlif al Shammari, and the poet Ashraf Fayadh. “As the world struggles to fight terrible forms of violence, national authorities everywhere should avoid the targeting freedom of expression, especially against those who advocate tolerance, respect and human rights,” the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression said. Several prominent writers and artists have been punished severely for expressing their beliefs in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Badawi, recently awarded the Sakharov Human Rights Prize, is a well-recognized human rights defender sentenced in 2014 and flogged in January, when he received 50 public lashes. His health has since deteriorated and authorities have reportedly transferred him to an isolated detention facility and are considering a new round of flogging. Mr. Al Shammari was convicted this month for ‘stirring up public opinion’ for his work advocating for reconciliation between Shia and Sunni communities via Twitter. And Mr. Fayadh, the... Continue reading →
