Advocacy / Saudi Arabia

Uncovering racial discrimination in Saudi Arabia: findings of the CERD Committee

On November 27 and 28, 2024, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination examined Saudi Arabia’s combined tenth and eleventh periodic reports. The Committee issued its Concluding Observations on December 10, 2024 and found a number of violations to the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by the Saudi authorities.

Civil society, UN Special Rapporteur alarmed about transnational repression in the MENA region

During an event at the UN Headquarters in New York, civil society organisations and the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism raised their concerns regarding the troubling pattern of transnational repression in the MENA region.

NGOs call on Saudi Arabia to improve women’s rights under the scrutiny of the CEDAW Committee

MENA Rights Group, Amnesty International, ALQST for Human Rights and the European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights call on Saudi Arabia to improve women's rights in the country and to abide by the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

Saudi authorities must end misuse of administrative and judicial measures against released human rights defenders including Loujain al-Hathloul

MENA Rights Group joins 13 civil society organsiations in calling on Saudi authorities to immediately cease their misuse of judicial and administrative measures against human rights defenders, including the practice of imposing arbitrary travel bans, and to ensure that judicial complaints are addressed in accordance with international legal standards.

Over 200 executions in nine months: NGOs condemn escalating use of the death penalty in Saudi Arabia

On the World Day Against Death Penalty, MENA Rights group joined partner NGOs in condemning the soaring number of executions in Saudi Arabia and urging Saudi authorities to implement a moratorium on the death penalty.

UN Secretary-General’s 2024 report highlights reprisals against human rights defenders in the MENA

MENA Rights Group provides a summary of the UNSG's main concerns over reprisals against human rights defenders in the MENA region, particularly in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen.

UN experts call for release of Saudi businessman sentenced to death

Following a request for Opinion filed by MENA Rights Group and the European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights (ESOHR), the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) found that the detention of a Saudi businessman who participated in protests in the Qatif region of Saudi Arabia, violates international human rights law and qualifies as “arbitrary”.

Partners of Saudi Arabia should send observers to upcoming trial hearings of Salma al-Shehab and Nourah al-Qahtani

MENA Rights Group joins NGOs in calling on partners of Saudi Arabia to monitor the ongoing trial of Salma al-Shehab and Nourah al-Qahtani, who are sentenced to 27 and 35 years in prison for their social media activity.

Saudi Arabia must free detainees jailed for their online expression ahead of Internet Governance Forum

MENA Rights Group joins 30+ NGOS in calling on Saudi authorities to immediately free those arbitrarily detained ahead of the Internet Governance Forum which will take place in Riyadh from 15 to 19 December 2024.

International access will be needed to follow up on mixed Saudi response to UPR recommendations

Following Saudi Arabia's response to recommendations made during its Universal Periodic Review, a coalition of 7 human rights organisations urge Saudi authorities to grant independent international observers and NGOs access to the country, and that they extend invitations to, and accept visits from, UN special procedures mandate holders.