Saudi Arabia is guilty of abusing human rights, US report says

The US State Department released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, raising concerns over numerous areas in which it believes Saudi Arabia abuses human rights within its sovereign borders.

The US focused on the political crackdown that has been underway within the royal family since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, came into prominence in 2017.

Aside from restrictions on freedom of speech, press, access of information and gender equality, the report detailed the instance in which Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Salman and his father were arbitrarily detained, along with 11 other princes, after they staged a sit-in at a royal palace in Riyadh “to demand the state continue to pay their electricity and water bills,” as the report said.

According to AFP, Prince Salman and his father have never been interrogated, charged or put on trial over the course of their detainment that began more than two-and-a-half years ago.

The US pointed to instances where Prince Salman allegedly seized power through internal politics within the royal family, and the sudden disappearances of many of his competitors who could have challenged him for the throne.

The State Department also pointed to the “arbitrary” detention and disappearances of Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz and other prominent members of the Saudi royal family in March 2020.

While noting that the detentions were not announced publicly by the government, the report said, “In early March, authorities reportedly detained four senior princes: Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, King Salman’s full brother; his son, Prince Nayef bin Ahmed, a former head of army intelligence; Prin
ce Mohammed bin Nayef, former crown prince and interior minister; and his younger brother, Prince Nawaf bin Nayef.”

The report also said that Saudi forces also detained dozens of “Interior Ministry officials, senior army officers and others suspected of supporting the alleged coup attempt.”