Amnesty International just issued a report condemning human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia.
In the 69-page report, Amnesty said that since Sept. 11, 2001, since the 11 “and in the wake of a series of attacks by armed groups and individuals inside Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Arabian authorities have imposed a range of counter-terrorism measures that have worsened what was already a dire human rights situation.”
“Combined with longstanding and severe repression of any perceived dissent and an extremely weak human rights institutional framework, these measures have swept aside embryonic legal reforms and left people in Saudi Arabia almost completely devoid of fundamental freedoms and protection of their human rights,” the report said.
“Old and new laws prescribe harsh and cruel punishments for terrorism-related offenses, including beheading and flogging, yet they are so vaguely written that they can be, and are, used to punish and suppress expression and activities that are recognized and protected as legitimate the world over,” it added.
One thing that’s interesting is that the report focuses on abuses that can be attributed to the West.
There a lot more objectionable to the Saudi government than just its counter-terror policy. For example, women aren’t exactly free there either. (tweeted by David Hazony)
“As is customary in prisons throughout the world, inmates are stripped of all authority and sponsorship over their own [lives]. All their movements are monitored and controlled by the jailor. The prison authorities decide their fate and see to their needs, until the day of their release. This is also the usual situation of the Saudi woman. She has no right to make decisions, and may not take a single step without the permission of her jailor, namely her guardian. But in her case the term [of imprisonment] is unlimited.
“The Saudi Mahram Law turns the women into prisoners from the day they are born until the day they die. They cannot leave their cells, namely their homes, or the larger prison, namely the state, without signed permission… Although Saudi women are deprived of freedom and dignity more than any other women [in the world], they suffer all these forms of oppression and injustice in bitter silence, [and with an air of] suppressed anger and death-like dejection. Saudi women are peaceful in the full sense of the word, but so far the Saudi state has not appreciated their [noble] souls, their patience, and their quiet resistance…”
And there’s another question that ought to be asked given the timing of this report. Recently, Amnesty and Human Rights Watch weighed in about Israel’s war against Hamas earlier this year. Clearly both were attempting to tip the scales of the current UN investigation further against Israel. But recently HRW had its reputation shattered when it was revealed that it promoted its anti-Israel reporting in order to raise funds in Saudi Arabia. So this begs the question: Did Amnesty International issue a report critical of Saudi Arabia in order to deflect scrutiny of its own fundraising efforts in the kingdom? Perhaps I’m being too suspicious, but my belief in the good faith of NGO’s regarding the Middle East is non-existent. The timing of this criticism of Saudi Arabia seems awfully convenient.
UPDATE: David Hazony noted the timing of the Amnesty report on Saudi Arabia and concludes:
Every once in a while, the free market overtakes the internationalists: Amnesty and HRW are presumably in permanent and intense competition for donations, and Amnesty cannot be blamed for seizing the opportunity to pull away HRW donors who were duly shocked by the Saudi scam. Amnesty is commended for singling out abuse in Saudi Arabia.
It would seem that Amnesty was opportunistic not cynical. I should have given them more credit.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
