Huge violations in Saudi Arabia of minorities rights
Human rights organizations document widespread violations in Saudi Arabia of the rights of minorities and their peaceful activities, and the authorities deliberately prevent any rights to express opinions.
In this regard, the Gulf Center for Human Rights called for the release of ten Egyptian citizens in Saudi Arabia who are still imprisoned without charge since their arrest in July 2020, in violation of their right to freedom of peaceful assembly.
This was the second time that Nubians were arrested in connection with a public symposium they had organized in October 2019. The Egyptian government has supported the measures taken by the Saudi authorities.
On July 14, 2020, the General Directorate of Investigation, which represents the secret police and is affiliated with the Presidency of State Security, re-arrested ten Egyptian citizens in Riyadh:
- Adel Sayed Ibrahim Fakir, the current head of the Nubian community in Riyadh
- Dr. Faraj Allah Ahmed Yousef, former head of the Nubian community in Riyadh (photo on the right)
- Jamal Abdullah Masri, President of the Association of the Nubian village of Dahmit in Riyadh
- Muhammad Fathallah Juma, member of the Association of the Nubian village of Dahmit in Riyadh
- Hashem Shater, a member of the Dahmit Nubian Village Association in Riyadh
- Ali Jumaa Ali, a member of the Association of the Nubian village of Dahmit in Riyadh
- Saleh Jumaa Ahmed, a member of the Association of the Nubian village of Dahmit in Riyadh
- Abdul Salam Juma Ali, a member of the Association of the Nubian village of Dahmit in Riyadh
- Abdullah Juma Ali, a member of the Association of the Nubian village of Dahmit in Riyadh
- Wael Ahmed Hassan, a member of the Thomas Nubian Village Society in Riyadh
Informed sources confirmed to the Gulf Center for Human Rights that they were transferred three months ago to Asir Prison in Abha, the administrative headquarters and capital of the Asir region. However, they were not allowed access to a lawyer.
On October 25, 2019, they were scheduled to hold a symposium on the anniversary of the October 6, 1973, war. Still, on the same day and before its convening, the Saudi detectives arrested Dr Faraj Allah in the morning and summoned the other nine colleagues to the police station and arrested them there.
They were asked about the reason for not placing the image of President Sisi in the poster for the symposium, which included pictures of some Nubian figures.
They were released on December 25, 2019, after 60 days of arbitrary detention in Al-Ha’ir Prison in Riyadh.
On October 29, 2019, after their first arrest, the Egyptian Consulate General in Riyadh issued a statement in which it supported the actions of the Saudi authorities instead of defending and protecting its citizens and working for their immediate release.
The Nubian associations were established decades ago. They do not have any political goals. Instead, all their cultural and social activities aim to increase knowledge among the Nubian community members and strengthen their bond with each other, especially in their exile from their mother country, Egypt.
The Gulf Center for Human Rights condemned in the strongest terms the arbitrary detention, which was repeated twice, of the ten Egyptian citizens in violation of their right to peaceful assembly.
The Human Rights Center demanded their immediate and unconditional release.
It stressed that the Saudi authorities should make every effort to protect the existence of minorities, their national or ethnic identity, and their cultural, religious and linguistic identity, and to create conditions that would strengthen this identity and enable them to carry out their peaceful activities without any harassment or arbitrary measures.
It also called on the Saudi authorities to continue to fulfil their international obligations to preserve the right to freedom of assembly and Association, including for minorities in the Kingdom.
