ARABIALINK Daily News – SAUDI ARABIA – Excerpts from International Media Reports
[Links to full articles were active on the date posted here]
Critics Say Saudi Antiterror Effort Nets Activists [Aug 30]
“Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on alleged Islamic militants has resulted in recent years in thousands of arrests and scores of convictions, drawing praise from Washington for the kingdom’s commitment to battling terrorism. But critics contend the government is using its security forces to silence a growing group of Saudi political activists seeking liberal reform inside the authoritarian kingdom. Saudis who simply hold political views different from those of their rulers have been arrested and detained as security suspects under the counter-terror efforts, according to human-rights advocates, family of the detained and U.S. officials. They say as many as 50 reformers have been arrested since 2005. “Using the antiterror campaign has been the conspicuous Saudi policy to arrest and harass political reformists and human-rights activists,” says Mohammed al-Qahtani, co-founder of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association..” [Complete Report]
NSHR Renews Call to Scrap Sponsorship System [Aug 30]
“The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) has called for the sponsorship system in the Kingdom to be scrapped in order to improve the rights of expatriate workers in line with international agreements. “Our call for the cancellation of the sponsorship system should not be misunderstood as a demand to abandon the residence permit system,” Hussein Al-Sharif, supervisor of NSHR in Makkah province, said on Saturday. He was speaking at an NSHR meeting on expatriates and human rights. “Human rights are not for any particular people,” he said, calling on citizens not to discriminate against expatriate workers in any situation. Al-Sharif added that participants in the meeting were unanimous that the sponsorship system went against all international agreements and work regulations. Other NSHR members who were in the meeting stressed the importance of respecting the rights of the expatriates..” [Complete Report]
Three-day Global Meet on Oil and Gas From Oct. 10 [Aug 30]
“The third Saudi Arabia International Oil and Gas Exhibition and Conference (SAOGE) will be held here in October. International speakers will deliberate on key industry-related issues over three days starting Oct. 10. High-profile companies, including Abdullah Fuad Holding, Sinopec, Taqa and GE Oil and Gas, are sponsoring the event. The event gives exhibitors the opportunity to join more than 300 private and public companies, research institutions and government agencies for the only show that gathers all the oil and gas industry leaders working in the Eastern Province under the same roof..” [Complete Report]
Arrests Made in Maid’s Nail Torture [Aug 30]
“A Saudi employer and his wife, who are accused of torturing a Sri Lankan housemaid by hammering nails into her body, have been arrested in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, officials at the Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry said Monday. Saudi Arabian authorities could not be reached immediately for verification. No further details were available. The two suspects have not been named.. .. Sri Lankan officials, meanwhile, met with Saudi diplomats in Colombo to urge an investigation into the incident..” [Complete Report]
