AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

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AAAS Human Rights Action Network

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FACTS OF THE CASE:

On 15 March 2004, the Saudi government arrested eleven people apparently for criticizing the government's human rights policy. The group, which includes prominent academics, issued statements claiming that the recently created National Commission on Human Rights lacks independence from the government and cannot be a credible watchdog for human rights in Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International reports that the Ministry of Interior announced that the detainees were suspected of issuing "statements which do not serve the unity of the country and the cohesion of the society…based on the Islamic religion."

Among the detained are Dr. Matrouk al-Falih, a professor of political science at King Sa'ud University; Dr. Abdullah al-Hamid, former professor of contemporary literature at Imam Muhammad bin Sa'ud University; and Dr. Tawfiq al-Qussayyir, professor of Electronics at King Sa'ud University. Dr. al-Hamid is a prominent reformist in Saudi Arabia and has been jailed previously for speaking out against the government and advocating for democratic reform.

The Saudi royal family controls the executive branch of the government and has restricted the development of independent national institutions. Last year, the government instituted some reforms, including a new criminal procedure code that includes a prohibition against torture and degrading treatment and recognizes the right to a lawyer during criminal investigations and trials. However, according to Human Rights Watch, "the Saudi government does not allow international human rights groups to conduct investigations in Saudi Arabia, so independent assessments of the code's implementation are not possible." Reformists in Saudi Arabia are concerned that the recent arrests represent a major setback to political reforms in Saudi Arabia.

(Sources of information for this case include: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and The Washington Post).

RELEVANT HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send faxes, letters, or emails:

• Expressing your extreme concern about reports of the detention of 11 reformists in Saudi Arabia, including Dr. Matrouk al-Falih, Dr. Abdullah al-Hamid, and Dr. Tawfiq al-Qussayyir, who appear to have been detained solely for exercising their human right to freedom of expression;
• Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees; and
• Requesting that the authorities ensure that all detainees are not subject to torture or ill-treatment and are granted access to their families and lawyers.

APPEAL AND INQUIRY MESSAGES SHOULD BE SENT TO:

His Royal Highness Prince Naif bin 'Abdul 'Aziz
Minister of the Interior
Ministry of the Interior
P.O. Box 2933, Airport Road
Riyadh 11134, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Fax: 011 966 1 403 1185
Salutation: Your Royal Highness:

His Excellency Dr. 'Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al-Sheikh
Minister of Justice
Ministry of Justice
University Street,
Riyadh 11137, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Fax: 011 966 1 401 1741
Salutation: Your Excellency:

His Majesty King Fahd bin 'Abdul 'Aziz Al-Saud
Office of H.M. The King, Royal Court
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Salutation: Your Majesty:

COPIES SENT TO:

Ambassador Prince Bandar Bin Sultan
Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United States
Embassy of Saudi Arabia
601 New Hampshire Ave. NW
Washington DC 20037
Fax: 1 202 944 3113

Please send copies of your appeals, and any responses you may receive, or direct any questions you may have to Victoria Baxter, AAAS Science and Human Rights Program, 1200 New York Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20005; tel. 202-326-6797; email vbaxter@aaas.org; or fax 202-289-4950.

The keys to effective appeals are to be courteous and respectful, accurate and precise, impartial in approach, and as specific as possible regarding the alleged violation and the international human rights standards and instruments that apply to the situation. Reference to your scientific organization and professional affiliation is always helpful.

To ensure that appeals are current and credible, please do not continue to write appeals on this case after 90 days from the date of the posting unless an update has been issued.

To verify the contents of this alert and/or the electronic signature, please download the signed file for this alert along with the Program's PGP Public Key.

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