Saudi Arabia

Football fans put on trial for chants - JOINT PULBIC STATEMENT - 27/03/2024

Amnesty International was among a number of organisations to condemn the arrest and prosecution of supporters of Al Safa Football Club under Saudi Arabia's notorious Anti-Cybercrime Law for chants at a recent match, which the authorities deemed as 'sectarian'. This act of repression - curtailing the right to free speech in football stadiums, at a time when the authorities are investing heavily to promote sport and tourism - highlights the appaling discrepancy between the actions of the Saudi authorities and its official narrative of liberalisation. Read more.

Forthcoming penal code must uphold human rights standards - REPORT - 19/03/2024

Amnesty International's analysis of an alleged leaked draft of the penal code shows how it codifies existing regressive practices that have allowed for the imprisonment of dissidents, as well as inhumane practices such as the death penalty. The draft code criminalises acts of speech that are protected under international law, 'illegitimate' consenual sexual relations, homosexuality and abortion, and it fails to protect women and girls from all forms of gender-based violence. The Saudi authorities should seize this opportunity to transform the abusive criminal justice system into one that respects human rights, rather than issusing a penal code that is essentially a manifesto for repression. Read more. Take action.

Saudi Arabia to be appointed chair of UN's gender equality forum - NEWS - 22/03/2024

Saudi Arabia is to be appointed chair of the United Nations' women's rights forum at the annual meeting of the United Nations Commission of the Status of Women. Read more.

Bulgaria should not deport Saudi activist - JOINT OPEN LETTER - 12/03/2024

Amnesty International was among a number of civil society organisations to express their deep concern about the case of Saudi actvist Abdulrahman al-Khalidi, who is currently been detained in Bulgaria and is at risk of imminent deportation to Saudi Arabia, If deported, al-Khalidi would be at real risk of torture and other serious human rights violations due to his political opinions and actvisim in Saudi Arabia. Read more.

Woman imprisoned for women's rights tweets - URGENT ACTION - 15/02/2024 - NEWS - 21/02/2024

On 16 November 2022, Saudi authorities arrested 29-year-old Manahel al-Otaibi. She has been forcibly disappeared since November 2023. She was charged with violating the Anti Cyber Crime Law due to her tweets in support of women's rights as well as posting photos of herself at the mall without an abaya (a traditional loose fitting long-sleeved robe) on SnapChat. Her case has been referred from the Criminal Court in Riyadh to the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC), set up to try terrorism related crimes. The SCC is notorious for carrying out grossly unfair trials and handing out harsh sentences, including the death penalty, for individuals peacefully expressing themselves online. The Saudi authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Manahel al-Otaibi and drop the charges against her. Read more. Take action

Organisations renew their call to release jailed women's rights activists - JOINT PUBLIC STATEMENT - 08/03/2024

Amnesty International was among a number of civil society organisations renewing their call on the Saudi Arabian authorities to release all women human rights defenders, women's rights activists and their supporters who are detained in contravention of international human rights standards. The organisations further call on the Saudi Arabian authorities to lift travel bans imposed on women human rights defenders and their relatives, and to abolish the male guardianship system. Read more.

Amazon reimburses workers for unlawful fees - NEWS - 22/02/2024

On 22 February 2024, Amazon announced that the company had paid US$1.9 million to reimburse more than 700 workers contracted to its operations in Saudi Arabia, following an Amnesty International report in October 2023. Read more.

Amnesty had documented serious human rights abuses by Nepali migrant workers employed by labour supply companies and contracted to work in Amazon's warehouses in Saudi Arabia. Many of those interviewed are highly likely to be victims of human trafficking. Despite being aware of the high risk of labour abuse in Saudi Arabia, Amazon has failed to take sufficient action to prevent such abuses or to provide effective and timely remedy when they did. More broadly, the research provides a clear example of the high risks businesses face if they operate in Saudi Arabia without taking proper measures and safeguards to protect migrant workers and their labour rights. Read more.

Amazon's response to Amnesty's report can be found here.

Authorities must abide by UN recommendations - NEWS - 30/01/2024

After the public review of Saudi Arabia's human rights record, the United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review Working Group report on Saudi Arabia should serve as a blueprint for minimum measures the Saudi authorities must take to abide by their obligations under international human rights law. Read more.

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Updated 27/03/2024

Country coordinators - Paul Dawson - paul.dawson@amnesty.org.uk