From 30 April to 4 May 2017, Ben Emmerson, the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on promoting and protecting human rights while countering terrorism, undertook an official country visit to Saudi Arabia. Upon the conclusion of his visit, he criticized Saudi Arabia’s counter-terror framework as overly restrictive and vague – a mechanism that allows authorities[…]
06
Jul
Jul
Four years ago, on 6 July 2014, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced human rights lawyer and activist Waleed Abu al-Khair to 15 years in prison, a 15-year travel ban, and a fine of 200,000 Saudi riyals (approximately USD 53,000). He was sentenced on spurious terrorism charges stemming from his free expression and association, human rights[…]
12
Jun
Jun
On 25 May 2018, Saudi authorities arrested prominent human rights defender Mohammed al-Bajadi. He was arrested along with almost a dozen women rights defenders because of his activism and human rights work. While a number of the women who were arrested have been released, al-Bajadi remains in detention. Mohammed al-Bajadi is a businessman and a[…]
30
Apr
Apr
30 April 2018 – On Friday 27 April, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2018 annual report, “documenting religious freedom violations and progress in 28 countries during the 2017 calendar year and making recommendations to the United States (US) government.” In the report, USCIRF notes that throughout 2017, “religious freedom[…]
05
Apr
Apr
In mid-March, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (often referred to by his initials, MbS), wrapped up a trip the United Kingdom and traveled to the United States (US) for a two-week visit starting Monday, 19 March. MbS’s visit comes at a time when he is attempting to bring desperately needed social reforms to[…]
