Human Rights in Saudi Arabia: An Update

Announcement

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for an online briefing on the current human rights situation in Saudi Arabia.

On November 21 and 22, Saudi Arabia will host world leaders for the annual G20 summit on the theme “Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All.” In preparation for the G20, the Saudi government hosted the W20 Women’s Summit in late October. These events are taking place even as Saudi Arabia maintains a repressive male guardianship system that severely limits women’s fundamental human rights, and jails, prosecutes and tortures those who speak against it, including Defending Freedoms Project prisoners of conscience Loujain al-Hathloul, Nouf Abdelaziz al-Jerawi, and Samar Badawi. Nor is repression limited to advocates for women’s rights. Raif Badawi remains in prison for blogging, as does his lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair, a human rights activist in his own right. In recent years the Saudi government has intensified its pursuit at home and abroad of those who criticize its medieval policies, as evidenced by the brutal state-sponsored assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The briefing panel brings together victims of Saudi human rights abuses with researchers and advocates. Panelists will provide an up-to-date overview of the human rights situation in the Kingdom and offer recommendations for the incoming congress and administration.

This briefing will be open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the interested public and the media. To attend, please register here. For any questions, please contact Kimberly Stanton at 202-805-6308 (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Piero Tozzi at 202-225-3765 (for Co-Chair Smith). For help with registration or technical support, please contact Matt McLaughlin of the TLHRC staff.

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