Advocacy / Saudi Arabia
Letter to Alphabet Shareholders: Vote YES to Uphold Google’s Human Rights Commitments
Open letter urging Alphabet shareholders to use their vote at the upcoming Annual General Meeting on June 1, 2022, to ensure that Alphabet upholds basic human rights principles before it proceeds with its cloud region plan in Saudi Arabia.
Joint statement: Rights groups call for the release of Waleed Abu al-Khair on the eighth anniversary of his arrest
Today, April 15, marks the eighth anniversary of the arrest of Saudi human rights defender Waleed Abu al-Khair, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence on charges related to his legitimate human rights activities. Right Livelihood, ALQST for Human Rights, MENA Rights Group, and Democracy for the Arab World Now urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release him and all human rights defenders detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of peaceful assembly.
Don’t sportswash human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia and the UAE: NGOs write to Formula One CEO ahead of Grand Prix
In a joint letter, 16 human rights organisations call on the CEO of Formula One Group to end sportswashing ahead of the Grand Prix that will take place in Saudi Arabia and the UAE in December 2021 and, instead, to use this event as a platform to highlight human rights violations perpetrated by these regimes.
US Congress: Block the Biden administration's $650 million arms sale to Saudi Arabia
In a joint-letter signed by 46 organisations, MENA Rights Group joins a coalition of NGOs calling on the US Congress to oppose the Biden administration's plan to sell air-to-air missiles and hundreds of missile launders to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to the undersigned NGOs, the sale of such weapons to Saudi Arabia would violate existing laws that prohibit the United States from providing arms and security assistance to gross human rights violators and those restricting access to humanitarian assistance.
Killing of jailed reformer Musa al-Qarni highlights use of torture in Saudi prisons
On October 19, 2021, ALQST for Human Rights, DAWN and MENA Rights Group expressed their shock over the brutal murder of Saudi dissident Musa al-Qarni in Dhahban prison.
Ten Nubian Egyptians charged after being arbitrarily detained in Saudi Arabia for more than a year
Ten Egyptian nationals belonging to Nubian civic associations in Saudi Arabia have finally been charged, more than a year after being arrested and arbitrarily detained without access to a lawyer or family visits, for exercising their right to free association and assembly. They are scheduled to be brought to trial in November.
NGOs denounce systematic practice of arbitrary detention in Saudi Arabia
On September 20, 2021, Right Livelihood, ALQST, International Service for Human Rights and MENA Rights Group delivered a joint oral statement before the Human Rights Council (HRC) during the interactive dialogue with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, denouncing the systematic imprisonment of human rights defenders and peaceful dissidents in Saudi Arabia.
Google Should Halt Plans to Establish Cloud Region in Saudi Arabia
The undersigned human rights and digital rights organizations urge Google to immediately halt its plan to establish a new Google Cloud region in Saudi Arabia until the company can publicly demonstrate how it will mitigate adverse human rights impacts.
Saudi Arabia must return the remains of victims of April 2019 Mass Execution and stop tormenting their families
On May 19, 2021, a coalition of 11 organisations jointly called on Saudi Arabia to return the remains of those executed by the Saudi authorities. In their joint-statement, the undersigned organisations additionally called for those responsible for the April 2019 mass execution of 37 people to be held accountable.
A coalition of 12 NGOs urges U.S. president Joe Biden to help lift Loujain Al Hathloul's travel ban
On May 14, 2021, MENA Rights Group joined a coalition of 12 NGOs calling on the U.S. government to help lift the travel ban imposed by the Saudi authorities against Loujain Al Hathloul. In their letter, the coalition expressed their deep concern about Al Hathloul's safety if she were to remain in Saudi Arabia.