Saudi authorities are continuing to systemically target human rights defenders by  misusing legal proceedings against them. In the last month Omar Al-Saeed and Mikhlif Al-Shammari, two peaceful human rights defenders, have had sentences handed down against them including significant periods of imprisonment and in one case, 200 lashes.  

On 05 November 2015, Al-Saeed, a member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association in Saudi Arabia (ACPRA), was sentenced by the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC) in Riyadh to two and a half years in prison, in addition to a travel ban of the same duration, to start after his sentence is served. The first hearing in his current trial began on 01 October on charges including breaking allegiance with the ruler, joining an unlicensed civil society (ACPRA), inciting public opinion against officials, and questioning the supreme scholars and the judiciary. Other charges include offenses of describing the government as “arbitrary”, “repressive”, a “police” and “racist” state, as well as taking photos of protests and posting them online to spread rumours and false news.

Al-Saeed, is a supportive member of ACPRA and only 24-years-old. He is currently spending his third year in the Malaz Criminal Prison in Riyadh. He was also sentenced to four years and 300 lashes in the same case. This sentence has been revoked by the Appeal Court, which referred the case to SCC in Riyadh. See: https://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/752

On 06 November 2015, the Court of Appeal in Al-Dammam ratified a decision against human rights defender and blogger Mikhlif Al-Shammari, made on 01 November 2014 by the Al-Khobar Criminal Court headed by Judge Khaled Al-Ghamdi. The sentence included two years’ imprisonment in addition to 200 lashes.  He was convicted in relation to behaviour which is not recognised as criminal by the international community, including having a dinner with some friends and consoling a family for the death of their son. It is understood that the judge Al-Ghamdi added a new charge of “sitting with riot-makers” to the indictment before it was to the Court of Appeal.

On 22 November 2015 Al-Sahmmari said that he “could be imprisoned in the coming few days.”

It’s worth mentioning that on 22 September 2014, Al-Shammari was summoned to the General Intelligence Directorate in Al-Khobar city where he was informed of the existence of an  Interior Ministry order to  shut down his Twitter account (@Mikhlif) with immediate effect.

Al-Shammari is a writer and prominent advocate of human rights who champions reform and democratic change in Saudi Arabia. He has been arrested many times in recent years. For more information kindly see the following links:

https://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/810

https://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/760

https://www.gc4hr.org/news/view/601

The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) expresses grave concern at the imprisonment and travel ban issued against Omar Al-Saeed, as well as the sentence of 2 years imprisonment and 200 lashes against Mikhlif Al-Shammari. The GCHR believes that these penalties are solely due to the two men exercising their legitimate and peaceful right to freedom of opinion and freedom of expression and conducting their work in the field of human rights.

The GCHR urges the Saudi Arabian authorities to:

1. Revoke the sentence of two and half years and the travel ban against Omar Al-Saeed and release him immediately;
2. Revoke the sentence of 2 two years and 200 lashes against Mikhlif Al-Shammari and stop all the judicial harassment against to ensure that he is able to exercise his right to freedom of opinion and expression and to post comments online and in other public domains without fear of reprisals;
3. 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, recognises 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) which states that: “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.”