On 29 December 2012, prominent human rights defenders and founding members of the Association for Civil Rights and Political Rights (ACPRA) Dr Mohammad Al-Qahtani and Dr Abdullah Al-Hamid appeared before Riyadh Criminal Court for the tenth hearing of the on-going trial against them. ACPRA reports on human rights violations, and helps families of detainees held without charge or trial to bring cases against the Ministry of Interior before an administrative court.

The trials of the two human rights defenders began in June 2012 and are based on human rights activism related charges including setting up an unlicensed organization, understood to be ACPRA, and inciting public disorder. The GCHR issued many appeals concerning this trial including the following recent appeal issued on 26 November 2012:

https://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/286

The two human rights defenders appeared once again before the Court on 29 December 2012, to respond to the charges against them. It is reported that at the hearing, which was attended by nearly 100 people, including human rights defenders, activists, and journalists amongst them a correspondent from Sky News channel, Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamed presented to the judge Hammad Al-Omar some of his books, such as “Word is stronger than the bullet” and “Rule of peaceful jihad in Islam. ”

The judge during the hearing directed some questions to the accused who answered with precision and clarity which proved to the attendees that the security organs planed to target the two defenders due to their peaceful activities in the field of human rights. The next hearing, in which it’s expected that the verdict will be announced, is to be held on 16 January 2013.

The GCHR believes that the on-going judicial harassment of Dr Mohammed Al- Qahtani and Dr Abdullah Al-Hamid is directly related to their peaceful human rights work and the legitimate exercise of their right to freedom of opinion and expression.

The GCHR urges the authorities in Saudi Arabia to:

1. Immediately and unconditionally drop all the charges against Dr Mohammed Al- Qahtani and Dr Abdullah Al-Hamid, as the GCHR believes that they are solely related to their legitimate human rights work;

2. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment. 

The GCHR respectfully reminds you that the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998, recognizes the legitimacy of the activities of human rights defenders, their right to freedom of association and to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals. We would particularly draw your attention to Article 1 “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels ” and to Article 12 (1) and  (2):  “(1) Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to participate in peaceful activities against violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. (2) The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.”