Together with leading human rights organisations, ISHR stands in solidarity with all victims of Saudi authorities’ deepening repression of political dissidents and human rights defenders.
We, the undersigned human rights organisations, stand in solidarity with all victims of Saudi authorities’ deepening repression of political dissidents and human rights defenders.
In recent years, Saudi authorities’ ongoing crackdown on dissenting voices has only increased in scope and scale. Human rights activists, writers, academics, and intellectual reformers in Saudi Arabia are increasingly targeted, subjected to harassment, smear campaigns, surveillance, arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearances.
Saudi authorities should immediately end any abusive practices. Accountability efforts are also critical to achieving justice for victims.
In December 2021, a new complaint on Saudi Arabia’s crimes against humanity was submitted before Belgium’s federal prosecutor, under the principle of universal jurisdiction. While in June 2022 the Belgian federal prosecutor requested that the Brussels court of appeal dismiss the case, the court will make the final decision on whether to order the opening of an investigation following a hearing on 24 January 2023.
We support victims of repression in Saudi Arabia in their efforts to pursue different accountability avenues.
Local authorities have accepted a global civil society petition to place a permanent tribute to Chinese human rights defender Cao Shunli, a victim of deadly State reprisals by China, in a prominent location at the heart of Geneva’s international quarter.
A newly-released confidential letter by a UN Special Rapporteur documents the disbarment of human rights lawyers in China and the tightening ideological control over lawyers and law firms. The UN expert denounces disappearances, closed-door trials, harassment of relatives, travel bans, and other abuses targeting human rights lawyers.
On Tuesday 16 April 2024, ISHR delivered to both Geneva’s Administrative Council and its legislative counterpart, the Municipal Council, physical copies of the more than 1000 signatures collected in support of a memorial honouring Chinese human rights defender Cao Shunli.
