The Gulf Centre for Human Rights received information confirming that the Saudi authorities continue to target human rights defenders through imprisonment and judicial harassment.

Detained human rights defender and one of the co-founders of the Association for Civil and Political Rights (HASM) Mohammed Saleh Al-Bajadi has had no contact with his family since 19 September, 2012.

The Criminal Court in Riyadh postponed the announcement of the verdict indefinitely in the trial of human rights defenders including the two co-founders the Association for Civil and Political Rights (HASM) Dr. Mohammed Al-Qahtani and Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamid.

The Criminal Court in Riyadh that deals with issues related to state security and terrorism postponed the announcement of the verdict in the case against Mikhlif Al-Shammari which was to have been given on 10 February 2013.

The trial of human rights lawyer Walid Abu AlKhair, which began its first hearing on 4 June 2012 continues where the next hearing will be held on 18 March 2013.

The second hearing was held in the trial of human rights defender and co-founder of the Association for Civil and Political Rights (HASM) Dr Abdulkarim Al-Khodr on 21 February, 2013 by Judge Ibrahim Al-Hassani at the Criminal Court in Buraidah. With Dr Abdulkarim Al-Khodr present, his legitimate human rights activities were presented as evidence against him.

After an arrest that lasted 66 days, Sheikh Sulaiman Al-Rashodi’s family visited the former judge and president of the Association for Civil and Political Rights (HASM) in prison for the first time. Al-Rashodi spoke about his solitary confinement that lasted two months and ill-treatment in prison before being transferred to the general prison.
 
Please check our previous appeals of this matter through the following link:
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Mohammed Al-Bajadi

Human right defender and one of the co-founders of the Association for Civil and Political Rights (HASM) Mohammed Saleh Al-Bajadi’s last contact with his family was on 10 September, 2012. On the same day he started a hunger strike for the second time in protest against his ill-treatment and isolation with his colleagues from the outside world. Since then he does has not had any contact with his family, although unconfirmed reports said that he ended the hunger strike and been transferred from solitary confinement. The Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution refuses to confirm these reports or give any information about his current status.

Dr. Mohammed Al-Qahtani and Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamid

The Criminal Court in Riyadh was expected to announce the verdict on 16 January 2013 in the trial of human rights defenders and co- founders of the Association for Civil and Political Rights (HASM), Dr. Mohammed Al-Qahtani and Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamid. However, the Court contacted their lawyers before the date of the hearing and told them that the hearing had been postponed indefinitely. The charges include setting up an unlicensed organization, understood to be HASM,   inciting public disorder, accusing the judiciary of allowing torture and confessions extracted under pressure, inciting public opinion by accusing the authorities of human rights violations, pitting international organizations against the Kingdom, inciting chaos, and publishing a statement calling for demonstrations.

Mikhlif Al-Shammari

The Criminal Court in Riyadh that deals with issues related to state security and terrorism, said that the announcement of the verdict in the case against Mikhlif Al-Shammari which was to have been held on 10 February 2013 had been postponed. The human rights defender commented stated that “the case before the court is a malicious case and has nothing to do with state security and terrorism as the charge is ‘annoying others’ and all the evidence presented by the prosecution is my journalism and activities in defense of human rights, and defending victims of domestic violence as being an active member of the National Family Safety Program”. He added, “If the court has full independence it must decide the case without any delay as it is my right and the right of the public to know the verdict of the judiciary in this case, for which I  was detained 21 months without trial.”

Walid Abu AlKhair

The trial of lawyer Walid Abu AlKhair, which began its first hearing on 4 June 2012, continues. The fifth session of the trial was held on 11 February, 2013 at the Criminal Court in Jeddah. The Prosecutor delivered his response to the defense memorandum insisting on his accusations against human rights defender Walid Abu AlKhair. These include contempt of the judiciary, accusing a judge of corruption, and an attempt to discredit the Kingdom by giving misleading information to foreign human rights organizations and asked the court to adjudicate in the case. The next hearing will take place on 18 March, 2013, where Judge Abdulmajid Al-Showaihi stated that he may need further responses from both parties or may issue a verdict in the case

Dr. Abdulkarim Al-Khodr

On 11 February, 2013 the first session of the trial of the co- founder of the Association for Civil and Political Rights (HASM) Dr Abdulkarim Al-Khodr was held at the Criminal Court in Buraidah. The trial was presided over by Assistant Chief Judge Ibrahim Al-Hassani, the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Court in Buraidah. Dr. Al-Khodr did not attend due to the health conditions of his father and authorized his lawyer Abdulaziz Al-Shubaili. The meeting was attended by delegates from the governmental Human Rights Commission and a number of journalists working in newspapers owned by the government.

The court refused to postpone its hearing despite Dr. Abdulkarim Al-Khodr’s request accompanied by medical reports showing the health condition of his father. The lawyer of Dr. Al- Khodr has been given a copy of the indictment which the prosecution submitted to the court. The indictment includes a set of alleged charges, such as incitement to breach public order, create chaos, prejudice security and public peace, insulting the judiciary, describing the regime as a police state, and participation in unauthorized association. The human rights activities of Dr. Abdulkarim were listed as evidence against him, including participation in the formulation, preparation and dissemination of data and speeches in which he criticized the Saudi government. The indictment alleged that this data includes false information.

The second hearing of this case was held on 21 February, 2013 presided over by Judge Ibrahim Al-Hassani also at the Criminal Court in Buraidah. Dr. Abdulkarim Al-Khodr and his lawyers including Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamid were present. The hearing was attended by representatives of the governmental Human Rights Commission and a number of journalists from state newspapers, and about 25 were people were prevented from entering the court on the grounds that the venue couldn’t accommodate them.

The defense team submitted a written request asking the judge to step down for personally targeting Dr. Al-Khodr and due to his previous unfair judgments against peaceful women protesters. A discussion took place between the judge and Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamid and the judge said at the the end of the hearing that he will consider the request to step down and give his response in the next hearing scheduled for 10 April, 2013.  

Sheikh Sulaiman Al-Rashudi

After 66 days of detention the family of prominent human rights lawyer, former judge and President of the Association for Civil Rights and Political Rights (HASM) Sheikh Sulaiman Al–Rashudi visited him in prison for the first time. Al-Rashudi spoke about his solitary confinement for two months and ill-treatment in prison before being transferred to the general prison. Al-Rashudi was arrested while travelling to the Qassim region. According to some reports, he was taken to the detention centre at “Naif Academy for Security Sciences” located in the east of Riyadh city. The arrest came hours after the publication of a lecture given by Sheikh Al-Rashudi entitled “the rule of demonstrations and sit-ins in Islamic law” in which he explained the legality of peaceful demonstrations and sit-ins to claim confiscated rights.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights expresses deep concern about the targeting, imprisonment, and judicial harassment of human rights defenders, Mohammed Saleh Al-Bajadi, Dr. Mohammed Al-Qahtani, Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamid, Mikhlif Al-Shammarim, Waleed Abu AlKhair, Abdulkarim Al-Khodr, and Sheikh Sulaiman Al- Al-Rashudi. These human rights defenders face unfounded accusations in an attempt to disrupt their peaceful and legitimate activities in the field of human rights, and to silence their demands for social justice and reform. The Gulf Centre for Human Rights once again further expresses its concern at the expansion of the use of a politicized judiciary in Saudi Arabia in order to target human rights defenders.

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights urges the authorities in Saudi Arabia to:

1. Release detained human rights defenders Mohammed Al-Bajadi and Sheikh Suliaman Al-Rashudi and to drop all charges against them immediately and unconditionally as they are targeted only because of their peaceful and legitimate human rights activities;

2. Drop all charges against Dr. Mohammad Fahad Al Qahtani, Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamid, Mikhlif al-Shammari, Walid Abu al-Khair, Dr. Abdul Karim Yousef Al-Khodr immediately and unconditionally as the Centre for Human Rights believes the charges are  related only to their legitimate human rights work;

3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in KSA 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 6 (c) “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others: (c) To study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, through these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters” and to  Article 12.2, which provides that “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”.

 Please write immediately in English or in Arabic: 

 1. To express your concern about the continued detention of human rights defender Mohammed Al-Bajadi and Sheikh Suliaman Al-Rashudi and to call for their immediate release; 

2. To urge the authorities in the Saudi Arabia to immediately stop the targeting of human rights defenders.

Please Send Appeals now TO:

 King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques

Office of His Majesty the King

Royal Court, Riyadh

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Fax: +966 1 403 3125

Crown Prince and Minister of Defence & Aviation

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin

Abdul Aziz Al Saud

Ministry of Defence and Aviation,

Airport Road

Riyadh 11165

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Fax: +966 1 401 1336