Saudi Arabia: New Terrorism Regulations Assault Rights

Campaign to Silence Peaceful Activists-MARCH 20, 2014

Saudi authorities have never tolerated criticism of their policies, but these recent laws and regulations turn almost any critical expression or independent association into crimes of terrorism. These regulations dash any hope that King Abdullah intends to open a space for peaceful dissent or independent groups.
Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director

(Beirut) Saudi Arabias ne terroris! la and a series of related royal decrees create a le"al fra!e ork that appears to cri!inali#e $irtually all dissident thou"ht or e%pression as terroris!& 'he s eepin" pro$isions in the !easures, all issued since January ()*+, threaten to close do n alto"ether Saudi Arabias already e%tre!ely restricted space for free e%pression& ,Saudi authorities ha$e ne$er tolerated criticis! of their policies, but these recent la s and re"ulations turn al!ost any critical e%pression or independent association into cri!es of terroris!,- said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at .u!an /i"hts 0atch& ,'hese re"ulations dash any hope that 1in" Abdullah intends to open a space for peaceful dissent or independent "roups&'he ne re"ulations co!e a!id a ca!pai"n to silence independent acti$ists and peaceful dissidents throu"h inti!idation, in$esti"ations, arrests, prosecutions, and i!prison!ent& 2n March 3, the pro!inent hu!an ri"hts acti$ists Abdullah al4.a!id and Moha!!ed al4 5ahtani co!pleted their first year in prison, ser$in" ** and *)4year sentences, respecti$ely, for critici#in" the "o$ern!ents hu!an ri"hts abuses and for !e!bership in an unlicensed political and ci$il ri"hts or"ani#ation& ' o other hu!an ri"hts acti$ists, 0aleed Abu al41hair and Mikhlif al4Sha!!ari, recently lost appeals and ill probably be"in their three4!onth and fi$e4year respecti$e sentences soon for critici#in" Saudi authorities& 2n January 6*, Saudi authorities pro!ul"ated the 7enal 8a for 9ri!es of 'erroris! and its :inancin" (the ,terroris! la -)& 'he la has serious fla s, includin" $a"ue and o$erly broad pro$isions that allo authorities to cri!inali#e free e%pression, and the creation of e%cessi$e police po ers ithout ;udicial o$ersi"ht& 'he la cites $iolence as an essential ele!ent only in reference to attacks carried out a"ainst Saudis outside the kin"do! or onboard Saudi transportation carriers& <nside the kin"do!, ,terroris!- can be non4$iolent consistin" of ,any act- intended to, a!on" other thin"s, ,insult the reputation of the state,- ,har! public order,or ,shake the security of society,- hich the la fails to clearly define& 2n :ebruary 6, t o days after the terroris! la ca!e into force, 1in" Abdullah issued /oyal

=ecree ++, hich cri!inali#es ,participatin" in hostilities outside the kin"do!- ith prison sentences of bet een three and () years& 2n March >, the <nterior Ministry issued further re"ulations desi"natin" an initial list of "roups the "o$ern!ent considers terrorist or"ani#ations, includin" the Musli! Brotherhood and the .outhi "roup in ?e!en, alon" ith ,Al45aeda, Al45aeda in the Arabian 7eninsula, Al45aeda in ?e!en, Al45aeda in <ra@, =aAish Bthe <sla!ic State of <ra@ and Sha!, or <S<SC, Jabhat al4Nusra, and .e#bollah inside the kin"do!&'he interior !inistry re"ulations include other s eepin" pro$isions that authorities can use to cri!inali#e $irtually any e%pression or association critical of the "o$ern!ent and its understandin" of <sla!& 'hese ,terroris!- pro$isions include the follo in"D Article *D ,9allin" for atheist thou"ht in any for!, or callin" into @uestion the funda!entals of the <sla!ic reli"ion on hich this country is based& Article (D ,Anyone ho thro s a ay their loyalty to the countrys rulers, or ho s ears alle"iance to any party, or"ani#ation, current Bof thou"htC, "roup, or indi$idual inside or outside Bthe kin"do!C& Article +D ,Anyone ho aids B,terrorist-C or"ani#ations, "roups, currents Bof thou"htC, associations, or parties, or de!onstrates affiliation ith the!, or sy!pathy ith the!, or pro!otes the!, or holds !eetin"s under their u!brella, either inside or outside the kin"do!E this includes participation in audio, ritten, or $isual !ediaE social !edia in its audio, ritten, or $isual for!sE internet ebsitesE or circulatin" their contents in any for!, or usin" slo"ans of these "roups and currents Bof thou"htC, or any sy!bols hich point to support or sy!pathy ith the!& Article FD ,9ontact or correspondence ith any "roups, currents Bof thou"htC, or indi$iduals hostile to the kin"do!& Article GD ,Seekin" to shake the social fabric or national cohesion, or callin", participatin", pro!otin", or incitin" sit4ins, protests, !eetin"s, or "roup state!ents in any for!, or anyone ho har!s the unity or stability of the kin"do! by any !eans& Article 3D ,Attendin" conferences, se!inars, or !eetin"s inside or outside Bthe kin"do!C tar"etin" the security of society, or so in" discord in society& Article **D ,<ncitin" or !akin" countries, co!!ittees, or international or"ani#ations anta"onistic to the kin"do!&'hese broad pro$isions contain lan"ua"e that prosecutors and ;ud"es are already usin" to prosecute and con$ict independent acti$ists and peaceful dissidents, .u!an /i"hts 0atch said& Al45ahtani and al4.a!ids con$ictions included char"es such as ,breakin" alle"iance ith the ruler,- ,slanderin" the reli"iosity and inte"rity of the Supre!e 9ouncil of /eli"ious Scholars,,so in" discord,- and ,atte!ptin" to shake the internal security of the country by callin" for de!onstrations&- 'he ne terroris! re"ulations classify se$eral of these char"es as acts of terroris!& 2ther !e!bers of their or"ani#ation, the Saudi 9i$il and 7olitical /i"hts Association (A97/A), are ser$in" sentences for con$ictions on si!ilar char"es, includin" Moha!!ed al4 Ba;adi, 2!ar al4Saeed, and Abd al41aree! al41hodr& A ;ailed !e!ber, :o #an al4.arbi, is on

trial before the /iyadh 9ri!inal 9ourt on char"es that include ,participatin" in callin" for and incitin" breakin" alle"iance ith the ruler,- ,e%plicit libel of the inte"rity and reli"iosity of the Supre!e 9ouncil of /eli"ious Scholars,- ,participatin" in settin" up an unlicensed or"ani#ation- na!ely, A97/A ,publishin" details of his in$esti"ation,- and ,describin" the rulin" Saudi re"i!e un;ustly as a police state&<n the March 3 case, the Saudi 7ress A"ency (S7A) reported, a Saudi appeals court upheld an ei"ht4year sentence for a Saudi citi#en for ,his in$ol$e!ent in incitin" Bfa!ily !e!bersC of detainees in security cases to de!onstrations and sit4ins throu"h producin", storin", and sendin" t eets, $ideo clips on ?ou'ube, and social net orkin" sites,- as ell as ,his sarcas! to ard the ruler of the kin"do! and its reli"ious authorities&2n March *), the S7A reported the con$iction of another !an, ith a *)4year prison sentence and a *)),))) riyal fine (H(F,F))), for ,en"a"in" in follo in", sa$in", and resendin" incitin" t eets on the social net orkin" site (' itter) a"ainst the rulers, reli"ious scholars, and "o$ern!ent a"encies and his connection to people ho call the!sel$es refor!istsIAnother hu!an ri"hts acti$ist, :adhil al4Manasif, ho played a leadin" role in docu!entin" abuses a"ainst de!onstrators in the Eastern 7ro$ince in ()**, is on trial for ,so in" discord,,incitin" public opinion a"ainst the state,- and ,co!!unicatin" ith forei"n ne s a"encies to e%a""erate ne s and har! the reputation of the kin"do!&And /iyadh4based hu!an ri"hts acti$ists, Moha!!ed al42taibi and Abdullah al4Atta i, ho ca!e under in$esti"ation in April ()*6 for co4foundin" a ne hu!an ri"hts or"ani#ation 'he Jnion for .u!an /i"hts face a ne in$esti"ation based on their hu!an ri"hts acti$ities& Article 6( of the Arab 9harter on .u!an /i"hts, to hich Saudi Arabia is party, "uarantees the ri"ht to freedo! of opinion and e%pression, and to i!part ne s to others by any !eans& Article (G "uarantees the ri"hts to peaceful asse!bly and association& 0hile protectin" public order and national security are reco"ni#ed in international hu!an ri"hts la as le"iti!ate purposes for li!itin" certain ri"hts under narro and clearly4defined circu!stances, $a"ue and o$erly broad le"al pro$isions cannot be the basis for o$erridin" a broad array of funda!ental ri"hts& 7ro$isions of Saudi Arabias ne terroris! re"ulations that deny any ability to e%ercise basic ri"hts of peaceful asse!bly, association, and e%pression "reatly e%ceed any notion of ;ustifiable restrictions, .u!an /i"hts 0atch said& 9o!!entin" on article F of the re"ulation, one acti$ist told .u!an /i"hts 0atch on March *(D ,Just talkin" to you no is considered terroris! < could be prosecuted as a terrorist for this con$ersation&-