Along with organisations like ALQST, International Citizen is asking for Saudi Arabian authorities to undertake the human rights suggestions issued by UN member states on the Common Periodic Evaluation (UPR) on 22 January, 2024. If adopted and applied, these suggestions might result in important change to human rights practices in Saudi Arabia, together with releasing prisoners of conscience and abolishing the demise penalty for baby defendants. The dominion has till June to just accept or reject new suggestions within the open letter under.
Saudi Delegation in Geneva and Saudi Authorities in Riad,
We specific deep concern in regards to the human rights scenario in Saudi Arabia and urge you to just accept the suggestions issued by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council.
The suppression of dissent, arbitrary arrests, harsh jail phrases, and demise sentences imposed on prisoners of conscience and human rights defenders demand pressing consideration. The continuing ill-treatment of prisoners of conscience and arbitrary journey bans for launched activists, in addition to the lagging reforms relating to ladies’s rights and migrant’s rights are alarming.
With that in thoughts, we kindly urge that your authorities critically considers and accepts the next suggestions:
- To convey Saudi Arabia’s laws in keeping with worldwide human rights requirements and to ratify key treaties such because the Worldwide Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and its second optionally available protocol; the Worldwide Covenant on Financial, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR); the Worldwide Conference for the Safety of All Individuals from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED); the Worldwide Conference on the Safety of the Rights of All Migrant Employees and Members of Their Households (ICMW);
- To redefine terrorism and reform the 2017 Regulation on Combating Crimes of Terrorism and its Financing and the Anti-Cybercrime Regulation and redefine terrorism in keeping with worldwide requirements to make sure the safety of freedom of expression;
- To reform the felony courts, respect due course of and enhance transparency by way of granting entry to court docket procedures;
- To guard freedoms of expression, meeting and affiliation for civil society, human rights organisations and journalists, and to launch prisoners of conscience – akin to Salma al-Shehab, Mohammed al-Qahtani, and Waleed Abu al-Kheir;
- To reform the Saudi Human Rights Fee and make sure that it abides by the Paris Ideas;
- To ascertain a moratorium on the demise penalty with a view to its abolition, and to right away abolish it for crimes dedicated as minors – together with the discharge of Abdullah al-Derazi and Youssef al-Manasif;
- To abolish the male guardianship system and revise discriminatory points of the Private Standing Regulation;
- To criminalise gender-based violence and handle loopholes permitting baby marriage;
- To implement authorized reforms to guard home employees and abolish the exit visa;
- To analyze the mass killings of migrants on the Yemen-Saudi border between March 2022 and June 2023.
Accepting and implementing these suggestions will mark a big step towards aligning Saudi Arabia with worldwide human rights requirements and making certain that it cooperates with and progresses throughout the world neighborhood. It is going to additionally enhance the worldwide standing of Saudi Arabia as the trendy, globally related and outward wanting society it desires to be.
We thanks to your consideration to this matter and belief that your Authorities will play an important function in advocating for constructive adjustments in the course of the UPR.
Signed,
International Residents
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