JuridicsSaudiArabia: Human R+ts: Saudi activist imprisoned in Riyadh, on hunger strike

A week or so ago, the Gulf Center for Human R+ts alerted the news media to the dire straits of human r+ts defender Mohammed Albajady who has been secretly tried by Saudi Arabia and sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by a further travel ban, if he survives imprisonment, that will last another five years.



Mohammed Albajady, Saudi Arabian human r+ts defender now imprisoned


GCHR "works to strengthen support for human rights defenders and independent journalists in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. " I'll quote the full media statement by the Gulf Center below.

At present, the Saudi government seeks total containment of its tiny civil/political r+ts movement due to the Arab Spring, especially after the Shi'ite upraising in its vassal state, Bahrain.  Also, at the moment, the Saudi govt may seriously consider appeals from the media, non-government organizations, and individuals in its client-countries.  Countries that are customers of Saudi Arabian oil may have a bit of clout, especially Americans, due to the political opposition in the USA to further importation of Saudiland's oil products.  President Barack Obama's policy regarding the eventual disuse of Saudi oil is extremely long-term; it is further in delay mode due to the reliance on that commodity of many European states which are presently joining the USA-promoted sanctions against import of Iranian oil, sanctions which will be a boon to the market-share that may further turn to the Saudis.

But the Saudi's will note that the potential of a major human r+ts case to feed a political weapon to the American critics of the Obama-Saudi alliance.  These critics will underscore (hopefully) the ongoing failure of the Saudi régime to provide Saudi non-govt activists with basic human, civil, and political r+ts.  So refWrite calls upon Americans and all our other readers around the globe to write to the Saudi officials mentioned below, on behalf of the imprisoned Mr. Mohammed Albajady.  I propose this as a reformational political task.

— Lawt, refWrite Frontpage juridics columnist

 Beirut, 18 April, 2012 -- The Gulf Center for Human Rights (GCHR) has received information concerning the sentencing of human rights defender Mohammed Albajady in Saudi Arabia, to four years in prison followed by a five-year travel ban. The sentence was handed down following a secret trial in flagrant breach of fair procedures and in total disregard for his right to a fair trial. 

Mohammed Albajady co-founded the Saudi Civil & Political Rights Association (HSM), in October 2009. He was previously the host of a weekly on-line forum called “The citizen and his rights”. The GCHR issued an appeal on his case on 10 April 2012 (http://gc4hr.org/news/view/116). 

On 10 April 2012 the Special Criminal Court in Riyadh, established to try terrorism and security-related offences, reportedly held a secret session during which the four-year prison sentence was handed down. According to information received, soldiers in military uniforms and a representative of the governmental National Human Rights Commission attended the trial. However, neither Mohammed Albajady ‘s family nor his legal representatives were told of the court session. 

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