Saudi Arabia: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back for Online Free Expression

On Monday, 18 September 2017, Snapchat reportedly restricted content from the Qatari media outlet Al Jazeera for its users in Saudi Arabia. According to Snapchat, the move was made to comply with local laws – something the company tries to do in all countries that it operates within. However, Al Jazeera says this is an[…]

At UN General Assembly, Saudi Foreign Minister seeks to Whitewash Yemen War

26 September 2017 – On Saturday, 23 September, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, delivered remarks at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York. Addressing the war in Yemen, he deflected blame for the conflict’s devastating civilian death toll and ignored Saudi Arabia and its coalition’s own actions. Americans for Democracy & Human[…]

Abdulkareem al-Hawaj at Imminent Risk of Execution after Recent Judgment

19 September 2017 – On 11 September, Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of Abdulkareem al-Hawaj, leaving him at imminent risk of being executed. With all of his appeals exhausted, al-Hawaj faces execution as soon as King Salman ratifies his sentence, which could happen at any time. Al-Hawaj is now the seventh man[…]

ADHRB at HRC36 Event Summary – Saudi Arabia: The Context of the Paramilitary Operations in Awamiyah and Ongoing Executions

This morning at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain hosted a panel on “The Context of the Paramilitary Operations in Awamiyah and Ongoing Executions” as a side event to the 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The panelists discussed the ongoing state violence in the[…]

Profiles in Persecution: Samir bin Muhammad al-Hilal

Samir bin Muhammad al-Hilal is a 67-year-old sheikh from Saudi Arabia. On the morning of 16 December 2015, Saudi security forces from the Ministry of Interior detained Samir as he left his home for the day. Though no one has been able to visit him since he was taken away, nor has any information in[…]