Advocacy / Saudi Arabia
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.
Crackdown on popular Saudi influencers and creators, with harsh sentence for hit producer
With CSO partners, MENA Rights Group call for the release of all those unjustly imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for their opinions and beliefs, and for an end to the imposition of travel bans, which are illegal in both international and domestic Saudi law.
Saudi Arabia: NGOs renew call for lifting of the illegal travel ban on women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul
MENA Rights Group joins 13 civil society organisations in calling on Saudi Arabia’s authorities to immediately lift the illegal travel ban imposed on woman human rights defender Loujain al-Hathloul. A court-imposed ban on her travelling abroad expired six months ago today, but since then she has been under an arbitrary travel ban with no expiry date, in violation of both international human rights law and the kingdom’s own legislation.
Missing prisoner Mohammed al-Qahtani’s family reject Saudi Human Rights Commission cover-up
MENA Rights Group and ALQST for Human Rights call on Saudi authorities to immediately disclose Mohammed al-Qahtani’s whereabouts and to release him, and to stop using the Saudi Human Rights Commission as cover for its rights violations.
Escalating concerns over the lives of minors threatened with death in Saudi Arabia
MENA Rights Group joins 30 organizations in expressing grave concerns regarding the death sentence and imminent executions of young men in Saudi Arabia for acts they committed as minors.
Ten years after his arbitrary arrest, NGOs call for Saudi human rights defender Waleed Abu al-Khair to be released
Monday, 15 April 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the arrest of Saudi human rights defender Waleed Abu al-Khair, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence as a result of his peaceful human rights activism. He has repeatedly been ill-treated in prison, including being denied vital medical care.
New assault on freedom of expression, thought and belief as Saudi authorities put football fans on trial for chants
MENA Rights Group joins 8 civil society organisations in condemning Saudi authorities' prosecution of football fans for their chants during a recent match under the repressive Anti-Cybercrime Law.
CSOs express deep concern at the systematic human rights violations in Saudi Arabia
On March 15, 2024, Right Livelihood, ALQST for Human Rights and MENA Rights Group delivered a joint oral statement before the Human Rights Council (HRC), during the general debate of its 55th session, highlighting the systematic human rights violations committed by Saudi authorities.
Bulgaria should not deport Saudi activist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi and should immediately release him
MENA Rights Group joins a coalition of civil society organisations in urging Bulgarian authorities not to deport Abdulrahman al-Khalidi, a Saudi activist currently detained in Bulgaria. The organisations further call on Bulgarian authorities to release him from detention and reconsider his asylum application.
IWD 2024: CSOs renew their call on Saudi authorities to release jailed women’s rights activists
On International Women's Day 2024, MENA Rights Group led a coalition of civil society organisations in renewing our call on Saudi authorities to release women human rights defenders, women’s rights activists and their supporters who are detained in contravention of international human rights standards. We further urge the authorities to lift travel bans on any women activists and to abolish the male guardianship system.