Contents
1. Summary
2. Background
3. Action required
1. Summary
The government of Saudi Arabia continued to use arbitrary measures against political activists. Saudi authorities have arrested the members of the newly established “Islamic Omma Party” with no legal grounds.
The founding members of the party have been detained with no charges since Thursday 16 February 2011 until now.
2. Background
The Islamic Omma Party is considered to be the first political party in Saudi Arabia. The party was formed by a group of nine Saudi intellectuals and political activists, who were aiming to bring political reform forward. The party was announced on Thursday 10February 2011.
On Tuesday 15 February 2011, the party announced an open invitation to all activists in the presence of local and global media and journalists, to hold their first meeting.
In reaction to this announcement, the Saudi authorities arrested and detained almost all the founding members of the party on Wednesday 16 February 2011.
Those detained are: Dr Ahmed bin Sa’ad bin Gharm al-Ghamidi; professor at Umm al-Qura University, Mr Sa’ud bin Ahmed al-Dughaithir ;political activist; Shaykh Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad al-Wuhaybi; lawyer and political activist; Dr Abdul Kareem bin Yusuf al-Khidhr; university professor, Shaykh Muhammad bin Hussein bin Ghaanim al-Qahtani; businessman, Mr Muhammad bin Naser al-Ghamidi; political activist, Dr Waleed bin Muhammad Abdullah al-Majid; lawyer; doctor of law.
In Saudi Arabia the freedom of opinion, freedom of speech, independent political activities or free press are often restricted in order to prevent criticism of the government.
IHRC condemns the arrest of political reformers by the Saudi authorities and urges them to immediately release the activists and ensure their legal and human rights are protected.
The Saudi government must respect the public freedom and maintain peace and stability in the country, as was called by the party in their first letter to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
The arrest of activists at this time increases the tension between the government and the citizens and could lead to further repression and anarchy in the country.
3. Action required
Write to the Saudi authorities urging them to immediately release the political activists and to cease from using repressive measures to suppress freedom of expression and other legitimate activities.
——————————————————————————————
For more information, please contact the office on the numbers or email below
——————————————————————————————
IHRC is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
Please help IHRC by visiting https://www.ihrc.org.uk/catalog and making a donation or buying an item from our on-line store.
If you want to subscribe to the IHRC list please send an email to subscribe@ihrc.org
If you want to unsubscribe from the IHRC list please send an email from your subscribed email address to unsubscribe@ihrc.org
If you are reusing this alert, please cite the source.
For more information, please contact the office on the numbers or email below.
“And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: Our Lord! Cause us to go forth from this town, whose people are oppressors, and give us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper.”
Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75
Join the Struggle for Justice. Join IHRC.
Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom
Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
Email: info@ihrc.org
Web: www.ihrc.org
