Amnesty condemns Saudi terror law

22 July 2011 Last updated at 17:25 GMT Amnesty says the law would mean even small acts of dissent were branded terrorism A secret new anti-terror law being drawn up by the Saudi authorities would "strangle peaceful protest", Amnesty International has said.

The BBC has been shown a classified copy of the draft law showing a number of measures Amnesty said would severely restrict human rights.

These include lengthy detention without trial, restricted legal access and increased use of the death penalty.

But a Saudi official said it was directed at terrorists, not dissidents.

The Saudi government has so far declined to comment, but the senior official, who did not want to be named, confirmed the existence of the draft law and did not dispute the clauses contained in it.

A human rights group in Saudi Arabia has told the BBC that it will try to organise a petition to King Abdullah to change the law.

Incommunicado detention

"[The law] will give an open hand for the minister of the interior to do whatever he wants to do. Basically he will be controlling the judiciary, controlling the public prosecutor, he's in charge already of the prison system, and there is no way to get a fair trial," the head of the Saudi Civil Rights Association, Mohammad al-Qahtani, told the BBC.

Continue reading the main story Frank Gardner BBC security correspondent

Saudi Arabia has fought and largely won a protracted campaign against al-Qaeda-inspired terrorism.

But the gist of Amnesty International's criticism of this new draft law is that parts of it are really more aimed at crushing political dissent than locking up dangerous terrorists.

In a country where political parties are banned and half the adult population (women) are not allowed to drive, Saudi Arabia's conservative rulers have been deeply rattled by the "Arab Spring" street protest movement.

Amnesty now fears that if this secret draft law comes into practice, it could offer the authorities dramatically enhanced powers to arrest anyone suspected of political dissent.

But a Saudi government adviser, who closely monitors terrorism cases, told me it is all down to interpretation.

He strongly disagrees with Amnesty's view. He insists this draft law is needed to fight al-Qaeda militants trying to get into the country from Yemen.

"We face", he said, "a serious ongoing threat".

He said he would be trying to mobilise influential members of Saudi society to produce a petition to the King to improve it.

Amnesty International's Middle East press officer James Lynch told the BBC the draft law - a copy of which was leaked to the human rights group - "seeks to entrench some of the most repressive practices that Amnesty has been documenting for years".

Among the measures proposed is a broadening of the definition of a terrorist crime to include any action deemed to be "harming the reputation of the state" or "endangering national unity".

'Crushing dissent'

Suspects could be held incommunicado for up to 120 days - longer if authorised by a court - and there would be restrictions on access to legal advice.

Violations of the law would carry harsh punishments, with the death penalty applied in cases of taking up arms against the state or for any "terrorist crimes" that resulted in death, said Amnesty.

Questioning the integrity of Saudi Arabia's rulers would become an offence punishable by a minimum of 10 years in prison.

Amnesty said a number of provisions in the document contradicted the kingdom's legal obligations, including the UN Convention against Torture.

Philip Luther from the charity said the law would be a serious threat to freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia in the name of preventing terrorism.

"If passed it would pave the way for even the smallest acts of peaceful dissent to be branded terrorism and risk massive human rights violations," he said.

The BBC's Frank Gardner says Saudi Arabia has fought and largely won a protracted battle against al-Qaeda-inspired terrorism in recent years.

But the gist of Amnesty's criticism is that parts of the new draft law are more aimed at crushing political dissent than locking up dangerous terrorists.

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Freed Saudi woman driver defiant

21 July 2011 Last updated at 18:42 GMT By Michael Buchanan BBC News Activist Manal al-Sharif is a computer security expert and mother of one A Saudi woman whose imprisonment for driving drew global attention to the issue says she is more determined than ever to continue her campaign.

Manal al-Sharif, 32, was held for nine days in May after driving in the eastern city of Khobar.

"We won't stop until the first Saudi license is issued to a woman," she told the BBC in her first interview since.

Earlier this week, prosecutors in the city of Jeddah announced they were going to prosecute a woman for driving.

The campaign to allow women to drive in Saudi Arabia has gained momentum in recent weeks.

On 17 June, dozens of women took to their cars across the country in open defiance of the ban on driving.

The campaign gained the support of prominent women around the world, including US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

'Positive change'

Manal al-Sharif's imprisonment led to Amnesty International calling for her release.

Continue reading the main story

Women tell me they are different since 21 May - the day I was arrested - it's a positive change, they believe now”

End Quote Manal al-Sharif Women's rights activist She said she was surprised by the level of coverage and support she received. "I didn't know the whole world was moved."

More importantly, she said, had been the reaction from women in Saudi Arabia itself.

"Women tell me they are different since 21 May - the day I was arrested. It's a positive change, they believe now. [Driving] is one of our smallest rights. If we fight, we can build women who trust themselves, have belief to get the bigger rights we are fighting for."

Some Saudi women say the authorities have slightly relaxed their attitudes to female drivers, merely cautioning women rather than making them sign a pledge not to do it again.

Jeddah case

Earlier this week, however, prosecutors in Jeddah - on the Red Sea coast - announced they intended to pursue a case against a 35-year-old woman driver.

The woman, who has not been named, claims she had no alternative to driving as she needed to get to hospital and there was no man to take her there.

Zaki Safar from the Women2Drive campaign has spoken to her and said she had told the judge who set her trial date for September that he did not understand the background to her case.

Such setbacks appear not to be deterring many Saudi women from pursuing their campaign.

Manal al-Sharif, one of the organisers of Women2Drive, says they have been contacted by 1,023 women who want to drive - and by 192 women from across the country who are willing to teach them.

They are now looking to recruit volunteers.

"Women want to drive and they are taking actual steps towards that," said Ms Sharif.

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Tension over Saudi worker curbs

30 June 2011 Last updated at 06:08 GMT The execution of an Indonesian maid sparked protests earlier this month Saudi Arabia has said it will stop issuing permits for workers from Indonesia and the Philippines.

Riyadh said it was responding to new guidelines issued by the two Asian countries, which have long demanded better protection for their citizens.

Earlier this month Jakarta announced a moratorium on its nationals working in Saudi Arabia after an Indonesian maid was executed for murder.

More than two million Filipinos and Indonesians work in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi labour ministry said in a statement that the new rules would come into effect on Saturday.

The statement added: "The ministry's decision coincides with its great efforts to open new channels to bring domestic workers from other sources."

The Indonesian labour ministry played down the effect of the ban, saying Jakarta's moratorium on sending maids is due to come into effect on 1 August.

In the meantime, the ministry said about 10,000 Indonesians had visas and would be going to Saudi Arabia.

The execution of an Indonesian maid in Saudi Arabia by beheading earlier this month sparked emotional protests, and criticism of the government for failing to prevent it.

Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the execution of Ruyati Binti Sapubi went against the "norms and manners" of international relations.

The BBC's Kate McGeown in Manila says the Philippines has argued for months that the Saudis need to increase the minimum wage for maids, and give a guarantee of humane working conditions.

Rights groups say maids are often mistreated in Gulf states, and there are few labour laws to protect them.

But the Gulf governments deny the claims, and highlight the fact that they recently signed up to the International Labour Organisation's convention on domestic workers.

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Clinton backs 'brave' Saudi women

21 June 2011 Last updated at 18:41 GMT Many Saudi women defied the ban on driving by getting behind the wheel US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has praised "brave" Saudi women who are campaigning for the right to drive.

Mrs Clinton said they were "right" to press their demands in the ultra-conservative kingdom, in her first public comments on the issue.

Many Saudi women openly took to the roads last Friday in defiance of an official ban on female drivers.

Last month a woman was arrested after uploading a video of herself driving a car.

"What these women are doing is brave, and what they are seeking is right," Mrs Clinton told reporters when asked to comment on the campaign.

"I'm moved by it and I support them."

'Quiet diplomacy'

However, she underlined that she was not interfering in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia, a key US ally in the Middle East.

Continue reading the main story Kim Ghattas BBC state department correspondent

This was the first time that Mrs Clinton openly - and very forcefully - gave her support to Saudi women who want to drive. Her comments will not go down well with some Saudi officials or Saudi clerics.

The relationship between the two allies has been made even more complicated by the Arab uprisings, with conservative Saudi Arabia worried the US is choosing political reform over stability and security.

Washington had so far opted for quiet diplomacy on the issue of Saudi women's rights.

But with more Saudi women defying the driving ban and the call by activists for Mrs Clinton to speak out, it was no longer possible to stay silent.

It's also possible Mrs Clinton gave the Saudis advance notice that her public statement was coming - the issue came up in a conversation on Friday with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal.

"I want to underscore the fact that this is not coming from outside of their country. This is the women themselves seeking to be recognised," she said.

Mrs Clinton's comments came a day after a US State Department spokeswoman said Mrs Clinton was engaged in "quiet diplomacy" over the issue.

Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that Mrs Clinton had raised the driving ban issue in a recent telephone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal.

In an open letter to Mrs Clinton on Tuesday - released before her statement - Saudi women's rights activists said they were "disappointed" by the US approach.

The letter, from the Saudi Women for Driving coalition, reads: "Secretary Clinton: quiet diplomacy is not what we need right now. What we need is for you, personally, to make a strong, simple and public statement supporting our right to drive."

Last month, Manal al-Sherif was arrested after uploading a video of herself driving.

She was accused of "besmirching the kingdom's reputation abroad and stirring up public opinion", but was released after 10 days having promised not to drive again.

Since then, direct action has been organised on social network sites, with women posting images and videos of themselves driving.

The Women2Drive Facebook page has said that the direct action would continue until a royal decree reversed the ban.

The ban is not enforced by law, but is a religious fatwa imposed by conservative Muslim clerics.

It is one of a number of severe restrictions on women in Saudi Arabia.

Supporters say it relieves women of the obligation to drive and also prevents them from leaving home unescorted or travelling with an unrelated male.

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Indonesia ban on Saudi maid work

22 June 2011 Last updated at 13:34 GMT Relatives of Ruyati binti Sapubi staged protests outside the Saudi embassy in Jakarta Indonesia is to stop allowing its citizens to work as domestic servants in Saudi Arabia after the execution of a maid for murder last week.

Officials said the moratorium would begin on 1 August and last until the countries could agree on a policy of fair treatment for migrant workers.

Ruyati binti Sapubi, 54, was beheaded on Saturday after confessing to killing her employer, saying he had abused her.

Saudi Arabia apologised for not telling Indonesia, Jakarta said.

About 1.5 million Indonesians work in Saudi Arabia - many of them as domestic maids.

But there have been rows over alleged mistreatment in the recent past.

In April a Saudi woman, convicted of beating and torturing an Indonesian maid, had her conviction quashed on appeal - sparking protests in Indonesia.

Indonesian labour ministry spokeswoman Dita Indah Sari said the department would work closely with other government agencies on tightening all regulations concerning overseas domestic work.

Outcry

Extra measures would be put in place to ensure no-one travelled to Saudi Arabia to take up domestic employment during the moratorium period, with more officials posted at borders and airports.

"We do not want to see any illegal recruitments during this period," she said.

"We will set up a special task force whose job is to make sure there are no Indonesian workers heading for Saudi when the moratorium is in place."

She said the moratorium would be lifted once the two countries had signed a new agreement on the treatment of migrant workers.

Indonesian media reports said Ruyati binti Sapubi admitted attacking her boss with a meat cleaver after she was denied permission to return home.

The execution caused an outcry in Indonesia.

Saudi Arabia has not yet officially commented, but Indonesian officials said the Saudi ambassador to Jakarta had apologised for carrying out the execution without first informing diplomats and promised that it would not happen again.

Indonesia only recently resumed sending workers to Malaysia, after a row over the abuse of maids there led to a two-year suspension in the practice.

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Saudi in Indonesia beheading row

21 June 2011 Last updated at 12:49 GMT Protesters gathered outside the Saudi embassy in Jakarta Indonesian MPs have called for a ban on workers being sent to the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia executed a maid without informing Jakarta.

Indonesia has recalled its ambassador to Riyadh to express its anger.

A crowd of protesters gathered outside the Saudi embassy in Jakarta displaying banners and T-shirts in support of the executed worker.

The maid, Ruyati binti Sapubi, was beheaded with a sword on Saturday after confessing to murdering her boss.

Indonesian media reports said she attacked her boss with a meat cleaver after being denied permission to return home.

About 1.5 million Indonesians work in Saudi Arabia - many of them as domestic maids.

Anger has been growing in recent years over the treatment of migrant workers - particularly maids, who often complain of mistreatment.

'Obligations ignored'

Parliamentary speaker Priyo Budi Santoso said MPs had told the government they must stop sending workers to the Middle East.

"We have asked the government to temporarily suspend sending Indonesian workers overseas, especially countries which refuse to sign an agreement which protects our workers' rights," he said.

Some MPs also called for the resignation of senior government figures including Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

Mr Marty addressed parliament on Monday, telling them that Saudi Arabia had a history of executing people without giving proper notification.

"It is regrettable that Saudi Arabia has repeatedly ignored its international obligation to inform related countries about consular affairs their nationals are facing," he said.

Indonesia's ambassador to Riyadh was recalled on Monday for consultations, and officials said they had lodged a strong protest with the Saudi authorities.

Meanwhile, a group of about 50 people gathered outside to the Saudi embassy in Jakarta on Tuesday.

They wore T-shirts emblazoned with "corrupt government, workers are beheaded" and carried banners proclaiming: "Our hearts for Ruyati."

Indonesia only recently resumed sending workers to Malaysia, after a row over the abuse of maids led to a two-year suspension in the practice.

A row erupted also in April when a Saudi woman, convicted of beating and torturing an Indonesian maid, had her conviction quashed on appeal.

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Saudi women drivers stage protest

17 June 2011 Last updated at 12:58 GMT Saudi woman explains why she breaks the driving ban

Women in Saudi Arabia have been openly driving cars in defiance of an official ban on female drivers in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

The direct action has been organised on social network sites, where women have been posting images and videos of themselves behind the wheel.

The Women2Drive Facebook page said the direct action would continue until a royal decree reversed the ban.

Last month, a woman was arrested after uploading a video of herself driving.

Manal al-Sherif was accused of "besmirching the kingdom's reputation abroad and stirring up public opinion", but was released after 10 days having promised not to drive again.

Campaigners have not called for a mass protest - which would be illegal - but have asked women who have foreign driving licences to drive themselves as they go about their daily life.

"All that we need is to run our errands without depending on drivers," said one woman in the first film posted in the early hours of Friday morning.

The film showed the unnamed woman talking as she drove to a supermarket and parking.

"It is not out of love for driving or traffic or the experience. All this is about is that if I wanted to go to work, I can go. If I needed something I can go and get it.

"I think that society is ready to welcome us."

Another protester said she drove around the streets of Riyadh for 45 minutes "to make a point".

"I took it directly to the streets of the capital," said Maha al-Qahtani, a computer specialist at the Ministry of Education.

Religious fatwa

On Twitter, Mrs Qahtani described the route she had taken around the city with her husband, saying: "I decided that the car for today is mine."

Her husband said she was carrying her essential belongings with her and was "ready to go to prison without fear", AFP news agency reported.

One woman who asked not to be named told the BBC driving was often considered to be "something really minor".

The ban is one of a number of restrictions Saudi women face in daily life

"It's not one of your major rights. But we tell them that even if you give us all the basic and big rights, that you are claiming are more important than driving, we can't enjoy practising those rights because the mobility is not there.

"We can't move around without a male."

The motoring ban is not enforced by law, but is a religious fatwa imposed by conservative Muslim clerics. It is one of a number of severe restrictions on women in the country.

Supporters of the ban say it protects women and relieves them of the obligation to drive, while also preventing them from leaving home unescorted or travelling with an unrelated male.

But the men and women behind the campaign - emboldened by uprisings across the Middle East and Arab world - say they hope the ban will be lifted and that other reforms will follow.

Amnesty International has said the Saudi authorities "must stop treating women as second-class citizens", describing the ban as "an immense barrier to their freedom of movement".

The last mass protest against the ban took place in 1990, when a group of 47 women were arrested for driving and severely punished - many subsequently lost their jobs.

The women were angered that female US soldiers based in the kingdom could drive freely while they could not.

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Saudi Arabia

One of the most devout and insular countries in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has emerged from being an underdeveloped desert kingdom to become one of the wealthiest nations in the region thanks to vast oil resources.

But its rulers face the delicate task of responding to pressure for reform while combating a growing problem of extremist violence.

Named after the ruling Al Saud family, which came to power in the 18th century, the country includes the Hijaz region - the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the cradle of Islam. This fact, combined with the Al Sauds' espousal of a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism, has led it to develop a strongly religious self-identity.

Saudi Arabia was established in 1932 by King Abd-al-Aziz - known as the Lion of Najd - who took over Hijaz from the Hashemite family and united the country under his family's rule. Since his death in 1953, he has been succeeded by various sons.

The Al Saud dynasty's monopoly of power meant that during the 20th century successive kings were able to concentrate on modernisation and on developing the country's role as a regional power.

It has always been in the ruling family's interests to preserve stability in the region and to clamp down on extremist elements. To this end, it welcomed the stationing of US troops in the country after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

But the leadership's refusal to tolerate any kind of opposition may have encouraged the growth of dissident groups such as Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda, which benefited from popular resentment against the role of the US in the Middle East.

After the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington of 11 September 2001 - carried out mainly by Saudi nationals - the Saudi authorities were further torn between their natural instincts to step up internal security and pressure to allow a greater degree of democracy.

In 2003 suicide bombers suspected of having links with al-Qaeda killed 35 people - including a number of foreigners - in the capital Riyadh. Some Saudis referred to the attacks as their own 9/11.

Since then, demands for political reform have increased, as has the frequency of militant attacks, some of them targeted at foreign workers. The security forces have made thousands of arrests.

Municipal elections in 2005 were a first, limited exercise in democracy. But political parties are banned - the opposition is organised from outside the country - and activists who publicly broach the subject of reform risk being jailed.

Saudi Arabia sits on more than 25% of the world's known oil reserves. It is capable of producing more than 10 million barrels per day; that figure is set to rise.

Full name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Population: 26.2 million (UN, 2010) Capital: Riyadh Area: 2.24 million sq km (864,869 sq miles) Major language: Arabic Major religion: Islam Life expectancy: 72 years (men), 76 years (women) (UN) Monetary unit: 1 Riyal = 100 halalah Main exports: Oil, gas, cereals GNI per capita: US $17,700 (World Bank, 2009) Internet domain: .sa International dialling code: +966

Head of state, prime minister: King Abdullah Bin-Abd-al-Aziz Al Saud

Saudi Arabia has been ruled since its foundation by the Al Saud dynasty. King Abdullah succeeded the late King Fahd, his half brother, in August 2005.

King Abdullah has kept a tight lid on pressure for reform

As crown prince, Abdullah had been the effective ruler of Saudi Arabia since the former king suffered a stroke in the mid-1990s.

He became heir to the throne in 1982, commanded the powerful National Guard and was considered to be the most influential figure in the country. He is a former mayor of Mecca. His son, Mutib, is deputy commander of the National Guard.

Abdullah is said to have forged alliances with other members of the ruling family to offset the influence of his seven half brothers. Known as the "Sudayri Seven", they are the most powerful alliance within the ruling family.

He is seen as being untainted by corruption - giving credibility to his drive to stamp it out - and to favour reforms which are balanced with a respect for Saudi traditions.

Regarded in the Arab world as a supporter of wider Arab interests, he has criticised US support for Israel and Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory.

At home, he has succeeded in keeping a tight lid on pressure for political reform, and has responded to small-scale protests in the kingdom by warning that threats to the nation's security and stability will not be tolerated.

King Abdullah is believed to have been born in 1924. He received a traditional religious education and is close to the Saudi tribal way of life, often spending periods of time in the desert.

Saudi Arabia, though a pioneer of pan-Arab satellite television, has long had one of the most tightly-controlled media environments in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia maintains tight control over the media

Criticism of the government and royal family and the questioning of religious tenets are not generally tolerated. Self-censorship is pervasive.

The state-run Broadcasting Service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (BSKSA) operates almost all broadcasting outlets. The minister of culture and information chairs the body which oversees radio and TV.

Private TV stations cannot operate from Saudi soil, but the country is a major market for pan-Arab satellite and pay-TV. Saudi investors are behind some of these networks, which include Dubai-based MBC and Bahrain-based Orbit.

Saudi newspapers are created by royal decree. There are more than a dozen dailies and many magazines. Pan-Arab papers, subject to censorship, are available. Regarding sensitive stories, newspapers tend to follow the editorial lead of the state-run news agency.

Criticism of the government is not tolerated in the Saudi media

There were 9.8 million internet users by June 2010 (Internetworldstats.com). A comprehensive filtering regime is in place. It is said to block some 400,000 sites, including those that tackle political, social or religious issues.

Saudi researchers say there are up to 10,000 blogs in the kingdom. The platform has given women some leeway to express themselves freely.

The press

Television

Saudi TV - state-run, operates four networks, including news network Al-Ikhbariya

Radio

News agency

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