In light of the current alarming situation of human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia and considering the crackdown on the feminist movement and women’s rights activists, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) continues to engage with partners to strategise and work collaboratively to advocate for the rights of defenders. GCHR has published a new report following United Nations advocacy.

On 14 September 2018, during the UN Human Rights Council’s 39th session, GCHR held a side event entitled “Challenging Gender-based discrimination, WHRDs are alone and facing serious threats for claiming their rights and demanding equality in Saudi Arabia”. The side event discussed the recent crackdown in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the need to enact and consolidate the international mechanisms and concerned bodies to ensure protection and support for women human rights defenders in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, especially in Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Hala Al-Dosari, a GCHR Advisory Board member and an award winning woman human rights defender who joined the side event virtually, commented: “We are currently witnessing massive waves of arrests… the detention of women activists was the worst, as it portrays exceptional cruelty and vindictiveness. The state orchestrated a wide-scale trial by media immediately following their arrests, and accused them of treason – the worst charge anyone can be implicated with.” 

Al-Dosari highlighted that, “The International response, though of invaluable significance, has been weak and inconsistent, and the rewards of the state continue in terms of continuous arms sales or lack of solidarity with the countries who spoke against the arrests or with the activists themselves.”

Journalist Hana Al-Khamri confirmed that the contradiction in the Saudi system are apparent, and despite the minor few positive steps taken by the kingdom, there is still a great challenge for women’s rights activists especially in a country that has no democratic channels or mechanisms.

Renate Bloem from CIVICUS highlighted the importance of engaging with international mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its human rights violations. Similarly, Sonia Tancic from FIDH spoke about the amount of UN Special Procedures’ interventions and work on Saudi cases. She said the increased engagement of the UN was commensurate with the gravity of the situation and the increasing amount of human rights violations, reiterating the importance of joint advocacy to respond to the worsening situation in the country.

Today, on 28 of September, and in advance of the Kingdom’s upcoming UPR, GCHR has released a report entitled: “The Vision 2030 Saudi Arabia Reform Plan: Women Human Rights Defenders in Saudi Arabia cease to exist”. The report says, “The guardianship system is one of the main discriminatory tools used in Saudi Arabia to box in women within the legal framework of a system of male superiority and decision-making on women’s behalf.” It asserts that, “Despite promises of reform made in the ambitious Vision 2030 plan…..The decision to allow women to drive was not based on justice but on economics, hence the warnings sent to WHRDs and activists to keep quiet about women’s rights and just celebrate the granting of the right to drive.”

The report expands on different spaces navigated by women human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia, and points out the challenges facing feminist activism in Saudi Arabia that range from arbitrary detention and unfair trials to the use of laws against defenders to mute their voices, and preventing them from engaging with the UN. The report concludes with a set of recommendations addressed to the Saudi authorities and the UN general assembly, including protecting rights defenders from any form of reprisals.

GCHR with its partners is participating in the pre-session of the UPR in October, and released together with the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), American for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and theObservatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in March 2018 a UPR submission on the situation of human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia. To read the report please click here.

In addition, Lawyer’s Rights Watch Canada and GCHR submitted a joint written statement to the 39th Session of the UNHRC entitled: “Saudi Arabia: Persistent gross, widespread and systematic violations of human rights while a member of the UN Human Rights Council”. Click here (https://www.lrwc.org/saudi-arabia-persistent-gross-widespread-and-systematic-violations-of-human-rights-while-a-member-of-the-un-human-rights-council/) to read it.