The Committee   For  The  Defense  Of  Human  Rights  In The  Arabian Peninsula

Annual Report  2006

This report covers the period from January 2006  to December 2006

Introduction

Abuses human rights in Hejaz are facilitated by governmental laws and regulations  based on injustice and inequality that are part of a state structure lacks accountability, either by international human rights organizations or local groups , ignoring requests by such organizations to visit the country for information.

The government's human rights record remained poor and its completion in developing this record appear to be little or absent . The basic structure of human rights aspect (right to change the government) is forbidden . Moreover , the electing parliamentary representation which is the façade of legislative power  doesn't represent the actual number of the population or other monitories .

The Saudi government still committee serious violence of human rights , restrictions on media and Internet still imposed and repression of  minorities especially Shi'a and Ismailis .

The government continued ignoring the people's discretion to have a government subject to accountability .

The promises of  democratic reform  and respect of human rights raised by the Saudi regime remained as façade used to hide repression severity and savagery .

The government does not improve the sever conditions of prisons and imposed more restrictions on press freedom , societal and political freedom .

The  serious violence against religious freedom and discrimination ethnic and religion continued .

Corruption was still pervasive throughout the state and police forces, and the government made little attempt to combat the problem , it also made no effective effort to rein security force officials or  hold them accountable for egregious abuses human rights who committed such as torture, disappearances, and arbitrary detentions. Security force officials who generally enjoyed de facto legal impunity.

The state wield the law as a political weapon or an instrument of repression against society , since the aim of the law is to protect the human rights of the individual against the power of the state.

The rule by law can be an abuse of power . This style is used to maintain the power of the rulers over the ruled.

For example, members of the Shi'a Muslim community (estimated at between 15 and 20 per cent of Saudi Arabia's population) suffer systematic political, social, cultural as well as religious discrimination.

The policy of fear and secrecy surrounded the regime makes the obtaining information about systematic human rights violations in Saudi Arabia a difficult task.

Constitution

The Saudi regime lacks of basic element , ( constitution ) . The  constitution organizes the basic principles of government on the political , economic and social levels . It also sets out the system of government, rights of citizens and public order , powers and duties of the state and clarifies the relationship between the ruler and the ruled .

The Saudi laws are unwritten and vague , despite the basic law offers some governmental lawful material , but it is not a constitution .

The Saudi regime has always rejected the idea of adopting a secular written constitution, arguing that the Koran and the Traditions (Sunna) of the Prophet Muhammad serve as the country's constitution.

The Article 1 stated that the constitution of Saudi Arabia is "God's Holy Book and His Prophet's Tradition.

The basic law, is issued directly by the king's office without consultation with other governmental bodies and without any public discussion. The king's decision not to consult with his full cabinet, with the existing Consultative Council or with the public at large, was probably meant to exclude any appearance of sharing of authority. According to Article 83, only the King can amend the basic law . In addition , it gives the reigning monarch unprecedented absolute authority .

The royal decrees and orders do not consider as consultation because setting precisely and clearly the basic principles of government and of the relationship between the ruler and the ruled , regulating the various state powers and their inter-relationships , and stating the basic rights of citizens .

The government should issue a permanent constitution, including the right to free expression.

In addition, The Basic Law states that the system of government is a monarchy and among the offspring of Abdel-Aziz Al Saud and gives the reigning monarch unprecedented absolute authority over the appointment and dismissal  (Article   5 ).

The Basic Law is a set of restricted materials fall far short of internationally recognized standards in their treatment of civil and political rights .

The shortcomings are obvious in the basic law and does not set steps towards participatory government and recognition of citizens rights.

It also does not ban discrimination on the basis of gender or religious beliefs , neither does it protect free speech, assembly or association.

It sanctions discrimination against women . There is no remedy in the new laws for the notoriously deficient due process rules in the Saudi penal system.

Judicial System

Article 46 of the Basic Law states that " The judiciary is an independent authority. There is no control over judges in the dispensation of their judgments except in the case of the Islamic Shari'ah ."

The Article 52 states that "The appointment of judges and the termination of their duties is carried out by Royal decree by a proposal from the Higher Council of Justice in accordance with the provisions of the law . ” 

Higher Council of Justice appoints , transferring and dismissal the judges . The Ministry of Justice also settles an account with judges .

The judges are not independent and come under pressure from senior members of the royal family and other government officials to influence their decisions. The commoners and the royal family members are not really equal before the judicial system .

The members of the royal family receive preferential treatment in all phases of the judicial process and from prosecution authorities who either refrain from filing charges against them or refer them to special tribunals before which it may be easier to get preferential treatment .

The judiciary of Saudi regime is subordinated to the authority of the executive authority, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of the Interior and regional governors, thus undermining the independence of the judiciary.

The prosecution is not obliged to present cases to the regularly constituted courts. The government sets up tribunals to adjudicate political cases or any other case where it is felt that regular courts may make decisions that the government does not consider acceptable.

The detention and the prosecution of suspects who accused of political cases are handled almost entirely by the Ministry of Interior, which is in charge of the police and the intelligence services. There is no judicial review of the duration of detention, or procedures of arrest and search.

A defendant could be brought to a hearing before a secret panel to decide his fate. This practice has been common in Saudi regime in a range of security , political offenses and commercial disputes . Frequently , the government bypasses the court system altogether , disposing of suspects either by administrative action or by forming closed-door summary tribunals to try them. Among the shortcomings of the court system are hearings hold behind closed doors and summary court sessions in political cases which are short , varying from five minutes to two hours  , and any witnesses for the defense are called, and no cross-examination of prosecution witnesses takes place.

The courts can, and do, throw out confessions extracted under torture, but this happens only in cases referred to them by the government who rarely refers political cases to regularly constituted courts.

Despite the article 46 states that "the judiciary is an independent authority " , however the Basic Law includes shortcomings is short on specific guarantees for judicial independence.

Since the article 48 of the Basic Law states that, "courts shall apply the provisions of Shari`a according to the Holy Book and the Tradition and to the laws issued by the King that do not conflict with the Holy Book and the Tradition " , however , the Saudi courts issue judgments on their will because the  interpretation of Holy Book or the Tradition depends on the officially sanctioned version of Islam  which conflicts with other sects . For that each judge has therefore had to extrapolate or to apply his own interpretation to the texts (the Holy Book and the Tradition) , leading to inconsistencies and lack of uniformity in judgment and in sentencing.

Although the Article 4 states that, "“Any accused person shall have the right to seek the assistance of a lawyer or a representative to defend him during the investigation and trial stages.”

But the Saudi Judicial System lacks to the Islamic and international standards , it is a disordered system that has no guarantees for defendants  which keep them the rights of an opened fair trials and they are not allowed legal representation in the courtroom .

Since there is no legal limit to pre-trial detention, a suspect may therefore be held indefinitely and never brought to trial.

Not all collections are approved by all schools. In Saudi Arabia, several collections are approved. For interpretation of these texts, judges use a number of approved commentaries.

Frequently, the government bypasses the court system altogether, disposing of suspects either by administrative action or by forming closed-door summary tribunals to try them.

The laws are largely unwritten and ambiguous, common plaintiffs without lawyers are at a disadvantage in court .

Arbitrary Arrest and Detention

Article 36 of the Basic Law states that " The state provides security for all its citizens and all residents within its territory and no one shall be arrested, imprisoned, or have their actions restricted except in cases specified by statutes."

Also the article 37 states that " The home is sacrosanct and shall not be entered without the permission of the owner or be searched except in cases specified by statutes."

Since , the articles  are  outspoken of prohibiting the arbitrary arrest and detention  , however , the executive authorities  detain the suspects indefinite solitary confinement

The detainees particularly political ones were held incommunicado in special prisons during the initial phase of an investigation. This period may last weeks or months.

Access by families or lawyers to detainees was denied and forming closed-door summary tribunals to try them. Nor is there a requirement that a family be notified of the arrest.

The Saudi criminal justice system leaves detainees vulnerable to abuse through the period of arrest and investigation .

Deficiencies in the law are compounded by the fact that the main arresting authorities the public security police , al-Mabahith al-'Amma (General Investigations) and al-Mutawa'een are not subject to any judicial supervision.

1- In April 2005 , religious police " Mutawwa'in " in the Grand Mosque in Medina al-Munwarra  reportedly arrested and detained the citizen Mohammed Ali Mosa a 47-year-old , in Medina for sectarian reasons .

2- In October , four  Shi'a citizens were arrested and detained by police  in town of Qatif and Jarodiyah village in the Eastern Province following demonstrations against Israel's military attacks on Lebanon and in support of Hizbullah .

3- In June a Saudi court convicted the citizen Ali Allah Hassan Al Funais when the court has ordered him to divorce from his wife according to sectarian reasons and his refuse to deliver his marriage contract to the court.

In August Saudi security forces carried out a raid on suspected places in Mecca . Seven members of the security forces were killed during firefights with suspected terrorists. ِArmed police units arrived supported by helicopters .

In September security forces conducted gun battles in Samer district in Jeddah town resulted some losses among police ,  the Government stated that some members of the security forces were killed and arrested 7 persons .

In September, police arrested 7 persons for taking part in an demonstrations in support of Hizbullah in towns of Qatif and Safwa in the Eastern Province.

In August Saudi government sent emergency forces to the Eastern Province for fear of other public demonstrations in support of Hizbullah .

The security forces conducted a raid of arrests to the participates of citizens who took part in former demonstrations , including the citizen Ali Chasip and his father who released later . Also Emad al-Labbad and his brother Hassan , all from al-'Awamiyah city in the Eastern Province.

In Hilla district , the authorities arrested the citizen Ali Salman al-Nasser .

The Government peacefully dispersed the crowds. Authorities prevented the holding of other public demonstrations and, according to several reports, used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators in the Eastern Province town of Qatif.

The conditions of Saudi prisons

The conditions at prisons and detention centers were poor , and do not conform to international standards . Some prisons were with below-acceptable standards in hygiene, food, medical, and social services, and prolonged detention of prisoners in poor health. Many jails remained overcrowded . The conditions are life-threatening and pose a serious risk to prisoners' health. These include severe overcrowding of cells , the cell number 4... a stretch of about 40 by 100 feet it had a capacity of 500 inmates . Many of prisoners slept in pairs under the bed or on the narrow pathways . Lack of adequate food and drink, lack of adequate sanitary facilities, exposure to extremes of heat or cold, exposure to infectious disease and denial of medical care to ill prisoners.

In 2005 the political prisoner Sultan bin Abdul Rahman bin Manna'  al-Zaid died in custody . He has been on long hunger strike for 13 days in al-Ha'ir prison in the capital Riyadh . He had been protesting against the authorities' refusal to give him access to lawyers

The prisoners frequently know nothing about their cases, do not attend their trials and often aren't even informed when they have been convicted. This adds to unnecessary suffering because many have no idea why or how long they will be in jail or whether they face execution.

In the same year , the member of (Human Rights First Society ) a non-governmental organization   , Khaled Al-Omair has begun a hunger strike in Oleisha prison in the capital Riyadh to protest against not giving him access to a lawyer . Khalid Al Omair, spent six months in jail as punishment for appearing on Al-Jazeera TV .

On 19 August the prisoners in Al-Malaz prison have gone on hunger strike to protest against the maltreatment of some their colleagues by security officers following the escape from prison by seven of the inmates. The prisoners were severely beaten by hands, legs and electrified sticks, and their clothes and money were stolen while searching them. That is in addition to insults, bad treatment and continuous harassments.

In November 2005 , 400 prisoners in Boreida prison in al-Qasim , have gone on hunger strike to protest against their remain in jail and they were not pardoned by the newly crowned King Abdullah in 2005  .

On 8 September ,  after 15 years behind bars, Hadi Al-Mutaif, has started a hunger strike until death in his solitary confinement in Najran prison . Hadi started his strike to protest his imprisonment in a solitary confinement .

Still Detained

Kamil ‘Abbas al-Ahmad a 35-year-old , continued to be held in the al-Mabahith al-‘Amma headquarters in Dammam without trial and possibly without charge. He has been arrested for five years . He is the brother of the exiled Saudi dissident  Ali ‘Abbas al-Ahmad in USA .

Ahmad Ali a 35-year-old , continued to be held in the al-Mabahith al-‘Amma headquarters in Dammam without trial and possibly without charge. He has been arrested for five years . He is the brother of the exiled Saudi dissident  Kamil ‘Abbas al-Ahmad in USA .

The citizen Abdul Aziz bin Ali al-Zaid a 33-year-old continued to be held in Oleisha prison in the capital Riyadh for four years . He was a member the (Committee to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice) and muezzin Abdul Salam Mosque . He has been arrested for two years He was charged of traveling to Iraq . He has not been tried till now .

The citizen Ahmad bin Ali al-Zaid a 30-year-old continued to be held in al-Ha’ir prison for four years . He was charged of traveling to Yemen and having contact with an Islamic group . His sentence had finished for about three years and still behind bars .

The citizen Mustafa Mohammad Mobark al-Shahri , a 35-year-old, was still held without access to lawyers at Olisha Mabahith headquarters in the capital, Riyadh . al-Shahri has been detained for three months . He was reportedly transferred to al-Ruwais prison in Jeddah, where he was allegedly tortured while being held in incommunicado detention , then he was brought back to Olisha prison . In 2005  he was infected by heart clot after a threat of an officer to bring his sister to investigation .

Forgotten Prisoners ( languishing in jail )

1- Hani Abdul Rahim al-Saygh , 36 , from al-Qatif / Sihat  October 1999

2- Abdullah Ahmad al-Jarrash , from al-Qatif  / al-Qala'a , August 1996

3-Hussain Moghayis , 33 , from al-Qatif / al-Bahari ,  April  1996

4-Abdul Karim Hussein al-Nemer  ,  45  , al-Dammam ,  November 1999

5- Sayyid Mostafa alQassab , 36 , from al-Qatif  / Mayyas , 1997

6- Sayyid Fadhel al-Alawi , 32 , from al-Qatif / al-Jaroudiyah , April 1996

7-Mustafa Ja`far al-Mo`llim , 28 ,from al-Qatif / al-Jaroudiyah , April 1996

8-Ali al-Marhoon , 32 , from al-Qatif /al-Jaroudiyah ,  April 1996

9-Salih Mahdi Ramadhan ,  32 , from al-Qatif /al-Jaroudiyah ,  April 1996

Torture and Cruel and Inhuman Punishment

Article 38 of the Basic Law states that " Penalties shall be personal and there shall be no crime or penalty except in accordance with the Shari'ah or organizational law. There shall be no punishment except for acts committed subsequent to the coming into force of the organizational law."

This article explicitly prohibits torture in all circumstances .

The Article 2 of the criminal procedure code states that an arrested person “shall not be subjected to any bodily or moral harm” or to “any torture or degrading treatment,” . But the prisoners in Saudi prisons subject to different kinds of torture in custody . 

The use of force to elicit confessions is common in the Saudi security system .Torture is used in Saudi detention facilities, especially those run by the Directorate of General Investigations (al-Mabaheth al-`Amma) and the headquarters of the Propagation of Virtue and the Deterrence of Vice. 

Torture is used to extract confessions and to discipline prisoners , and sometimes it is inflicted without reason.

The Saudi Arabia's laws facilitate torture because the lack of judicial supervision of arrest and detention, denial access to lawyers , to break down an individual physically and mentally to punish or humiliate individuals.

Some victims torture have permanent disabilities , others took years to recover from the effects of torture .

The common methods of torture in Saudi Prisons

*  Insult the detainee, his faiths, his sacred ideologies and his family members.

* Telling him bad news in order to exhaust him psychologically.

* Spitting on the detainee’s face.

* Conducting the interrogation with the detainee while he is naked.

* Beating by sticks, batons, plastic cords , makeshift whips and electric flex on the soles of feet, hands and other parts of body. The victims suffer bruises, internal bleeding, broken bones, lost teeth, ruptured organs .

* Pulling out the finger nails by pincers

* Clipping the parts of the detainee’s body particularly breasts by clippers or put them between tow keys and pressing on them fiercely.

* Threatening the detainee with sexual assault , his wife or his sister before him .

* Sleep deprivation and exposure to extremes of heat or cold .

* Prolonged standing which causes swelling of the legs .

* Submersion in water .

* Stubbing out of cigarettes on the body .

* Deprivation access to a toilets which causes a perforated colon , hemorrhoids and a ruptured bladder .

* Thrust the shoe into the mouth

* Using electric batons and electric chairs.

* Suspending the detainee upside down with his feet tied to a fan ceiling while it is turning and during winter they turn on air conditioner.

* Pulling out the facial and chest hair.

* Dipping the head of the detainee in dirty water or in the toilet .

* Offering dirty food for him includes insects which causes severe colic.

* Depriving the detainee from taking a shower during the period of interrogation when he is in the solitary confinement.

* Burning with a hot iron

* Using scissors to tear the skin of body from back .

Restriction of freedoms

a. Freedom of speech

Article 39 of the Basic Law states that, "Media and publishing organizations, and all other methods of expression, must adhere to good speech and to the laws of the state. They shall contribute to the education of the nation and support its unity. It is forbidden to publish anything that can lead to internal strife or division, or negatively affect the security of the state, or its public relations, or degrade man's dignity and rights, as specified by laws."

One of the most important lacunae in the Basic Law is the failure to recognize the right to freedom of thought or expression. Many basic rights are not protected under Saudi law, political parties are not allowed, and freedom of expression remains extremely limited.

This law subjects all publications, local or foreign, to pre-distribution censorship, leading to a complete ban on some publications.

The government continued to harass Saudi Arabian human rights defenders and has stifled all efforts to establish independent groups to monitor and report on abuses of human rights . 

The Government always restricts the freedom of speech and press and enforces a ban on all public criticism of the government's policies .

In January 2005 , Mohamed al-Oshen, editor-in-chief of the Riyadh-based Islamist weekly Al-Mohayed, was reportedly detained without charge for several weeks after publishing articles that attacked the Saudi government, including criticism that it had not taken a more active role in advocating the release of Saudi prisoners held by U.S. authorities at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Al-Oshen, who has two brothers at Guantánamo, is a member of the legal defense team for Saudi detainees.

In 3 April Rabah Al-Quwai' , 24 years , the writer for the daily Shams in Riyadh, was arrested and detained by members of al-Mahbahith al-'Amma (General Investigations) of Hail on charge of a renunciation of Islam .

In July , writer Salim Mohammad al-Yami was banned of writing in newspapers and Web sites . After ten days arrest he has faced questioning by members of  al-Mahbahith al-'Amma about his writings . He was forced to sign a pledge to stop writing in the press .

On 20 September , Saudi authorities detained Wajeha al-Huwaider in al-Mahbahith al-'Amma Headquarters in al-Khobar and interrogated her for internet writings and human rights activities before coercing her to sign a pledge not to engage in any future human rights activities, including writing articles, organizing protests and speaking to journalists or foreign organizations . The police had previously detained al-Huwaider before 3 years and she was banned from travel and writing in the press. 

On 13 August , the Saudi authorities prevented the writer Sa'ad Abdullah al-Dosari from carrying out his professional duty due to publishing the article " The War Saying " in  the daily Riyadh .

On 9 September , some Saudi clerics who have wide connections with Saudi judicial officials raised a case against the novelist Dr. Rajaa Al Sanie Raja' al-Sani' the  author of the novel "The Girls of Riyadh." They demanded a punishment for the novelist claiming  that it disrepute of Saudi girls .                  

In 2004 the Saudi authorities banned the Al-Shihi from Al-Watan newspaper from writing over an article criticizing the Minister of Transportations due to a draft law submitted to take taxes about using roads

On 20 February the government temporarily shut Riyadh’s al-Shams newspaper after publishing some of the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad that provoked a global outcry among Muslims since first appearing in the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten. The decision of suspension issued by the Minister of Information for violating sacred religious strictures. After 45 days the newspaper returned to appear after the dismissal of its editor-in-chief Battal al-Qaus and appointed Khalaf Alharbi instead .

In November , The Saudi authorities shut the Saudi forum of ( Qis bin Sa'eda ) in Najran province . The manager of the forum ( Salih bin 'Amer al-Yami ) was forced to sign a statement not to make any activity unless he has a permission from the Ministry of Interior or Information Resource .

The Saudi regime occasionally blocks or shuts down some websites . In May 2005 the Security Affairs Commission in the Ministry of Interior block access to Internet sites ( The forum of Dar al-Nadwa , Middle East Transparent and the forum of al-Islah ) and scores of Shi'a Internet sites (Saudi Information Agency , Rasid Network , Ya-Hussain web site and the U.S.-based Saudi Institute 

The Security Affairs Commission in the Ministry of Interior also has blocked all the websites of Saudi human rights organizations in Saudi Arabia or abroad . As ( The Committee for Defense of Human Rights in the Arabian Peninsula (CDHRAP) , Saudi Affairs , Safhat Byanat , Human Rights First Committee )

In April 2005 the Saudi Ministry of Interior blocked the website of Mansiyon (Forgotten) which raises the issue of Shi'a forgotten prisoners in Saudi prison of al-Ha‘ir , Riyadh . The sites of al-Islamic Tajdeed and UK based Islamic Reform Movement (IRM),

 In July 2006 , The Saudi government has blocked internet users in the country from accessing Google and Wikipedia .

The Blocked Websites :

Human Rights First Committee , Rasid Net , Ya Hussain web site , Rafed Net , Shi'a Net ,  UK based Islamic Reform Movement (IRM) , The sites of al-Islamic Tajdeed , al-Qala'a , al-Haramain for Islamic Media , The Committee for Defense of Human Rights in the Arabian Peninsula (CDHRAP) , Hajar web net , Wadi Najran Net ,  the U.S.-based Saudi Institute  , Saudi Information Agency , al-Shi'I al-Ghaiour Net , al-Hewar al-Motamaden Net .

b. Freedom of Movement

The number of citizens who have been banned from travel for political reasons estimate over 14000 citizens , according to a security official in the Ministry of Interior .

Sources estimate that over 6000 Shi'a in the Eastern Province , Madina and Najran are banned from travel abroad. Passports are seized without judicial process . Reasons for seizure vary from traveling to Iran to unknown causes, such as the case of Fatima al-Jarash from Qateef. Numerous children were included in travel bans. Several hundred people got their passports back this year, again for unknown reasons  .

Ali Al-Domaini, Abdullah Al-Hamid and Matrouk Al-Faleh who have been calling for political and judicial reforms in the country were banned from traveling outside the Kingdom by Saudi authorities . Previously they have been arrested and then sentenced to terms ranging from six to nine years in prison . They were pardoned by the newly crowned King Abdullah on 8 August 2005  . A year after their release from prison , they are banned from travel and government jobs. The ban also includes all political activities, writing, speaking to the media or giving lectures .

c. Freedom of Assembly

The Basic Law of Government does not contain any reference to freedom of assembly . Under Saudi regulations, all demonstrations are banned unless expressly sanctioned by the government ; such sanction is given only after authorities are satisfied that they would be in support of government actions or policies.

In July the Saudi authorities banned some Shi'a citizens to demonstrate in support of Hizbullah in towns of Qatif and Safwa in the Eastern Province.

On 6 August police arrested 7 persons , among hundreds of citizens , taking part in peaceful demonstration in al-Qatif in Safwa town in support of Hizbullah .

On 18 October , Saudi police arrested 4 persons taking part in peaceful demonstration in support of Hizbullah in towns of Qatif and Jarudiyah town in the Eastern Province.

On 14 August the Saudi police forcibly dispersed peaceful demonstration took place in al-Qatif in Jarudiya village in Qatif celebrating of victory of Lebanese resistance , hundreds of Shi'a citizens gathered in that demonstration .

In July 2006 the Association for the Propagation of Virtue and the Deterrence of Vice banned an evening gathering for women in . The ban was issued according of prince Sattam bin abdulaziz, deputy governor of Riyadh region claiming that the gathering violated the regulations of assembly .

The Saudi regime usually harasses the cultural , scientific , religion activities of Shi'a minority in Saudi Arabia . In May 2005 , the Saudi authorities in Ihasa banned the plastic show ( Min Wahi Ashra ) and  confiscated 100 art paintings .  

d. Freedom of Religion

The Basic Law of Government does not contain any reference to freedom of thought or religion for the citizens who do not adopt  the officially sanctioned version of Islam or non-Muslims foreigners  . The so-called Association for the Propagation of Virtue and the Deterrence of Vice carries the law on its will .

The Ban of Books

There is a ban on importing religious books that are not accepted by the official religious institution. Shi'a and Sufi religious books are banned and confiscated upon arrival. Fines, lashes or prison are possible punishments.

Libraries of Saudi universities do not contain Shi'a books or books by Maliki clerics .

In contrast, anti-Shi'a books are available in the country and are sold legally and freely. Some are even printed by government institutions and distributed for free.

Religious Holidays

The Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are the only two religious feasts which are recognized by the government .

The government bans any other religious holidays as Prophet Mohamed's birthday . Shi'a citizens are not allowed to celebrate of their holiday of Ashura in the cities of Al-Ahsa and Dammam except the eastern city of Qatif .

The Shi'a employees and pupils are prevented to have holiday at these days and may cause punishment for them .

Sectarian Discrimination

Shi`a have subjected to a long-standing discrimination. They are the largest minority in the country . They estimates range from ten to fifteen percent of a total population . They are concentrated in the oil-producing Eastern Province .

The Shi`a are still banned from practicing freely their faith and public displays of their religious customs on occasions such as `Ashura . The source of sectarian discrimination is not only the authorities , but also the religious institution .

On 18 August Sheikh Saleh Ibn Muhammad Al-Lehaidan, Chairman of the Higher Judiciary Council, a member of the government-appointed Council of Senior Scholars, issued a ( fatwa ) that Shi`a " are idolaters and also accused them of loyalty to Iran ."

Previously , the ifta' committee of the Council of Senior Scholars had already issued a ( fatwa )  that Shi`a "are apostates who have committed grand idolatry." The ( fatwa )  reflects the view of the Sunni religious establishment and the government .

The government has provided the atmosphere in which such extreme views can be expressed. Government-issued public school texts denigrate Shi`a beliefs, describing them as heretical and blasphemous. The government-sanctioned or condoned claims are virtual incitements to violence against the Shi`a.

There are many restrictions imposed on Shi'a university admissions and the employment in governmental agencies and companies . They are  also denied military service . There is a ban on the use and import religious books .

Shi'a citizens find themselves isolated and vulnerable by virtue of being living under strict rules impinging on their right of employment and education . Such existence puts them at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts from other religious schools .

Saudi judges have the right to discount the testimony of persons who are not practicing Muslims or who do not adhere to Hanbali doctrine.

In July the testimony of the Shi'a citizen 'Ala' al-Sada was ignored in al Khobar court when he was called to witness in the behalf of another Sunni citizen . The testimony by Shi'a has less weight than testimony by Sunnis.

In July Dr. Abdullah Al-Sheikh, Saudi Minister of Justice exempt the judge Shaikh Ghalib al-Hammad ( the judge of the court of endowments and heritage ) from his position  due to his reject of appointing an assistant in Shi'a court of Qatif .

In May an coach have 48 passengers from Qatif town came from al-Madina al-Monawwara after doing their pilgrimage to the holy shrine of the Prophet Mohammad there  . They were raided by a group of religious rigorous from the Sunni Sect . They beat the passengers and injured others . The passengers sheltered to police station seeking protection .

Repression Policy against Ismaili Shiites

On 5 September , the  Ismaili Shiites assembled in the east of Najran's airport protesting the repressing policy of  Najran administrative governor; Meshaal bin Saud, when he settled down Yemeni tribes in that land and  droved away the original owners . In addition , he seized  the arable lands of citizens .

On 8 June educational supervision center of Safwa town ordered to delete the word of ( Imam ) from the name of the elementary school of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib of Safwa .

In March 2005 , the Saudi authorities banned a Shi'a celebration ( Amal alleqa' ) in Qatif town in the Eastern Province in the ceremony fortieth day of Imam Hussain martyrdom . After that al-Mabahith al-'Amma (General Investigations) of Qatif called the supervisors of the celebration ( Sayyed Sa'eed al-'Awami and Sayyed Ali Khozam ) and forced them to sign a pledge not to engage in any similar activities .

Governmental Control on Religious Institutions

Mosques

The Saudi government through the Ministry of Islamic Affairs finances the construction and maintenance of all mosques in the country build all mosques in the country and it also supervise the private mosques . It seldom permits private construction of Shi'a or Ismaili Shiites mosques. Shi'a mosques built secretly without government permission. Some Shi'a build mosques at private homes .

The government appoint the imams (prayer leaders) of the mosques and pays them salaries and others who work in . In al-Madina al-Monawwara , Shi'a have no mosque despite they are significant monitory . The Saudi authorities took possession of there mosque and destroyed their only Hussainiya which has been built since dozens years .  

All Shi'a mosques are built as private houses then they are converted to mosques . Sometimes the authorities give a permission to Shi'a to build mosques but under the conditions of  the Ministry of Islamic Affairs .

In Dammam , Shi'a who estimate 150 thousands people , have only one mosque . They have no graveyard for their deceased , they failed to have a permission to assign one , for that they bury their deceased in Sihat town , and when Sihat graveyard filled they converted to Ihsa'  graveyard .

In Al Madina Al Monawara there are nearly 200,000 Shi'a citizens but they do not have any mosque .

On 19 July , Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs banned the construction of mosque belonged to Shi'a Ismaili citizen Sa'od Al Mutaif in Najran .

The Ministry justified the ban that it must be subjected to the supervision of the Ministry  and it must appoint the imam (prayer leader) and others who work in it .

Hussainiyah

Hussainiyah is a religious center used by Shi'a minority to held religious celebration , weddings and funerals . The authorities do not give a permission to Shi'a to build Hussainiyah and they are build under a permission of private home .

In October  , Saudi security police raided the husayniah of Jaroudiyah in Qutief and confiscated photos of some Shi'a clerics . The  husayniah was closed down for indefinite period of time .

This year, seven hussainiyahs were closed in al-Ahsa region during Muhharam commemorations. They include al-Qaim and al-Mojtaba in Al-Mubaraz, Al-Rassol Al-Adam in Al-Batalia, al-Mortada and al-Zahhra in al-Garn, and al-Askari in al-Andalus . There were also several closures of home-based sermons in al-Ahsa and al-Jesh, and several homeowners were jailed for several months for holding these sermons at their homes. One example is Naser al-Morey from al-Ahsa.

It is worth mentioning that the Saudi regime in past closed down some mosques and hussainiyahs and banned construction others .

In the same time the Saudi authorities closed down some memorial gatherings at private homes in Ihsa' and al-Jush and arrested the persons who were in charge of them .

Discrimination in Employment

The Saudi regime conduct a discriminatory policy against Shi'a citizens in the field of education and employment . It prevents Shi'a teachers to assume position of headmaster in governmental schools .

In November 2004 , some Shi'a female teachers published a letter in al-Yawm newspaper show their objection about inequality in education positions compared to their counterparts from other sects .

Discrimination in Education

The General Administration of Female Education is one of the most discriminated administration against Shi'a .

Shi'a female teachers were not permitted to teach religion in schools or appoint Shi'a principals at the girls' schools , supervisors or professors at university . In addition , they are banned to have holidays during Shi'a holidays . 

In Safwa city , the principal of  an intermediate school has scolded some Shi'a teachers for wearing mourning clothes and forced them to change them .

In the primary school of ( al-Yarmook ) in Safwa , the Sunni teacher ( Ahmad al-Zahrani ) used anti-Shi'a rhetoric with  Shi'a pupils calling Shi'a students infidels or polytheists and told them that Shi'a  worship stone rather than Allah , when the parents complained to the headmaster , he did not scold the teacher . 

In April the Ministry higher education selected 47 scholastic administrators in the Eastern Province and no Shi'a among them .

Textbooks and Curricula

The Saudi government control of  education in public and private schools from the primary stage to higher one . All textbook  are according of the state-sanctioned version of Sunni Islam . They do not support other schools of Islam .

In last  years textbooks described  the religious practices of other schools of  Islam as heresy . Recently the Arabic and Western press have launched a campaign on the reform of  textbooks and curricula , and call for moderation because the present curricula popularize hate and extremist violence among the citizens .

Women

Women in Saudi Arabia remained subject to pervasive discrimination in law and practice,and inadequately protected against violence in the home.

The Saudi laws do not touch on women rights , and the existing Saudi law sanctions discrimination against women .

Discrimination against women including in areas relating to civil status legal , societal , political , economic and religious discrimination .

There were some laws issued support some questions which have been banned as not holding identity cards in their own names unless the permission of guardian . The ban on women driving is still effective , also the domestic or foreign travel without the consent of a male relative  (Mahrim). It is worth mentioning that these laws fall far short of  Islamic laws and violate human rights.

This violence against women rights because of narrow interpretations of Islamic texts .

The women were excluded  from participation in the municipal elections and they were not allowed to vote or stand as candidates .This situation is facilitated and perpetuated by severe discriminatory laws and practices.

Names

The interior ministry controls citizen's names through the personal status office . The Saudi authorities ban the names of citizens which are not to the particularly the names of Shi'a minority .