ACHRS Statement: Saudi Arabia whitewashes human rights violations
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have expressed their dissent and appealed to the international community not to deflect attention from Saudi Arabia’s brutal crackdown on human rights defenders, despite the country’s attempts to restore its image through rebranding campaigns. ACHRS condemns these attempts and calls for international accountability.
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Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have expressed their dissent and appealed to the international community not to deflect attention from Saudi Arabia’s brutal crackdown on human rights defenders, despite the country’s attempts to restore its image through rebranding campaigns.
In 2016, the Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the creation of Vision 2030, namely an innovative and, in appearance, progressive plan to cease the kingdom’s dependence on oil, while promoting culture, tourism and social reforms. Nevertheless, five years afterwards, many questions regarding Visions 2030’s effectiveness arise: for instance, Saudi Arabia’s budget is still 75% dependent on oil exports. Moreover, an important part of this modernisation process includes the promotion of a new, more tolerant, image of the kingdom. In order to do so, there has been a significant push towards hosting international events in the country. Some recent events include the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and associated concerts, for which several international celebrities have been invited to perform. Many human rights groups have been vocally critical against this, as they consider it a calculated strategy to distract the international community from Saudi Arabia’s countless human rights violations.
Saudi Arabia is in fact still perpetuating a system of abuses that needs to be firmly condemned unanimously by the international community, and it is mandatory not to fall for its image laundering attempts. Indeed, one of the most striking examples is the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi; three years after his death, the country still flouts any accountability. At the same time, the Saudi Kingdom regularly presses charges against individuals solely based on public declarations. Blasphemy and apostasy are still punished with decades of imprisonment, as has recently occurred with Ali Abu Luhum, a Yemeni man condemned to 15 years of prison over tweets “promoting atheism.” In fact, Amnesty International has reported the cases of at least 64 people prosecuted for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly between 2013 and 2021, of whom, to date, 39 remain imprisoned. In addition, Saudi Arabia is still greatly involved in the war in Yemen, being a responsible party for the greatest humanitarian disaster worldwide.
ACHRS strongly condemns the human rights violations carried out by the Saudi kingdom, and joins the call out of other human rights groups for the international community, as well as for celebrities invited to perform in the country, to be aware of the Saudi attempt to whitewash its violations, as well as to avoid any accountability for the committed abuses.
Image Source: Freedom House
