ACPRA and Restrictions on Human Rights Organizations in Saudi Arabia

In March 2013, the Saudi government forced the Saudi Arabian Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) to close. ACPRA was a prominent human rights organization, and one of the few independent civil society organizations in the country. On 29 May 2016, the government’s Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) sentenced ACPRA’s last free co-founder, Abdulaziz al-Shubaily, to[…]

Medina 2009: Sheikh Nimr’s rise to prominence

Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was not always a prominent cleric in Saudi Arabia, but by the time of his execution on 2 January 2016, he had become a symbol of Shia demands for political equality. He began to rise in prominence and popularity in the wake of confrontations between Shia pilgrims and the Saudi[…]

German government should deny company license to export arms to Saudi Arabia

On 23 June 2016, a court ruled that the Government of Germany must decide whether to grant arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch a license to sell assault rifle parts to Saudi Arabia. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and the European-Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR) call on the German government to[…]

Sheikh Nimr and the 2011-2012 Eastern Province protests

Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr was a prominent voice in the struggle against Shia discrimination in Saudi Arabia. He played a large and symbolic role in the 2011-2012 demonstrations in the Eastern Province. As a result of his support for the peaceful protests, Saudi security forces arrested him in 2012 and sentenced him to death. His death[…]

Waleed Abu al-Khair and Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr: Saudi Arabia’s campaign against dissidents

On 12 June, Waleed Abu al-Khair ended his five-day hunger strike. He initiated his hunger strike to protest ill-treatment by the administration of the Thahban prison in Jeddah. Prison officials refused to provide him with the medical care he needs for diabetes and intestinal complications, and prevented him from accessing any reading material. He ended[…]