In 2022, Saudi Arabia carried out 196 executions. The greatest mass execution in recent memory took place on March 12 when 81 men were executed in a single day by the government. The nation uses the death penalty at the second-highest rate in the world.
Free speech silenced by censorship and repression
In both the legal and practical spheres, prejudice against women and girls persists. Women are required to have a male legal guardian, and they are not allowed to select one, according to the male guardianship system that was codified into law. Even after the legislation was altered to permit women to drive, several women, like Loujain, who had backed a campaign against the prohibition were harassed and imprisoned. Although there are no formal laws in Saudi Arabia pertaining to sexual orientation or gender identity, courts apply the codified Islamic law principles to punish those who are suspected of engaging in extramarital affairs, including adultery and same-sex relationships. Judges and prosecutors use ambiguous portions of the nation’s anti-cybercrime statute, which criminalizes online behavior that infringes on “public order, religious values, public morals, and privacy,” if people are having these kinds of relationships online. Hussein Abu al-Khair, a citizen of Jordan, was put to death by Saudi authorities on March 12, 2023, following his conviction for a misdemeanor narcotics offense. His claims that he had only confessed after being tortured and mistreated for days were disregarded by the judge. International law expressly states that drug offenses are not punishable by death and that the death sentence should only be used for the “most serious crimes” in extraordinary situations.
Torture and unfair trials persist
It saw the implementation of Saudi Arabia’s first codified law on personal status, International Women’s Day. Despite being hailed as “comprehensive” and “progressive” by MBS and other Saudi government officials, the law legally establishes male guardianship over women and contains clauses that enable sexual abuse and domestic violence within marriages. Women’s rights advocates in Saudi Arabia have long pushed for a defined Personal Status Law to eradicate discrimination against them. But since the measure was not made public prior to its adoption, the authorities did not give them a chance to submit feedback. Saudi campaigners for women’s rights have experienced travel bans, torture, and arbitrary arrests and detentions in recent years. People are frequently the victims of egregiously unjust trials and lengthy prison terms from the courts. Individuals are frequently detained in isolation with no means of communication. After a blatantly biased trial, Leeds University student and mother of two Salma al-Shehab was found guilty of terrorism-related offenses and given a 27-year jail term. Salma al-Shehab had tweeted in favor of women’s rights.
Human rights defenders imprisoned
The Saudi government controls the country’s media, and journalists are subject to jail sentences for a range of alleged “crimes.” The savage murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was approved by Saudi officials, including the Crown Prince, since the man had been critical of the kingdom. The nation’s leaders have never been made to answer for their actions. In addition to Raif Badawi, several other vocal activists are still imprisoned for just using their freedoms of assembly, speech, and association. Numerous well-known and independent human rights advocates in Saudi Arabia have either left the nation, been intimidated into silence, or been imprisoned. After being wrongfully imprisoned, many human rights advocates are still being punished. Many get travel restrictions, which prevent them from leaving the nation and visiting loved ones. In order to create room for opulent hotels and structures, more than half a million residents of Jeddah had their dwellings destroyed and they were forced to leave their homes.
Foreign nationals, who make up about half of individuals affected, are not included in a compensation plan that was announced following the demolitions.
Religious freedom curtailed
Demonstrations and protests are prohibited. Those who disobey the prohibition risk being taken into custody, prosecuted, and imprisoned on grounds such as “inciting people against the authorities.” The Personal Status Law formalizes the nation’s long-standing custom, which mandates that women seek consent from a male guardian before getting married. It is mandatory for married women to submit to their husbands in a “reasonable manner.” The legislation also implies a marital right to sexual contact by stating that neither spouse may forgo having sex or live apart without the permission of the other spouse. A mother’s capacity to actively engage in decisions pertaining to her child’s social and financial well-being is restricted by the fact that fathers continue to serve as their children’s default guardians. A woman has little ability to make choices for her kid’s welfare, even in situations where the parents do not live together and the court determines that the child should reside with the mother. She cannot function as her child’s guardian until the court authorizes her to do so.