Saudi Arabia: Countering Terrorism With Brutal Repression

Since September 11 2001, the Saudi Arabian authorities have launched a steady assault on human rights in the name of fighting terrorism. An Amnesty International report, released yesterday, describes the shocking scale of abuses.

Thousands of people have had their lives completely devastated by violations of the most basic human rights. Some have been arrested and detained in secrecy, while others have been killed in suspicious circumstances. Hundreds more people face secret and summary trials and possible execution. Many are reported to have been tortured, either to extract confessions or as a punishment afterward.

Since July 2009, the Saudi Arabian government has announced that 330 people were tried on terrorism charge. However, they did not disclosed their names or defined the nature of the charges. The sentences ranged from fines to the death penalty.

Of the thousands detained, some are prisoners of conscience targeted for peaceful criticisms of the government. The majority are suspected supporters of Islamic groups opposed to Saudi Arabia close ties to the United States.

“The anti-terrorism measures introduced since 2001 have set back the process of limited human rights reforms in Saudi Arabia. Combined with severe repression of all forms of dissent and a weak human rights frame work, there is now an almost complete lack of protection of freedoms and rights,” said Malcom Smart, Amnesty International’s director for the Middle-East and North Africa.

To read the complete report of  Amnesty International click here.