Date :06/06/2000

No:98/H/00

 

Not to be Deceived by Lies

 

    The responses and statements of Saudi officials and the inauspicious members of royal family have increased towards the latest campaigns against the Saudi regime because of its gross violations of human rights. These rights which had been confirmed by Islam before any positive law.

The cruel practices of the Regime do not need proofs to maintain them due to their large number , and everybody in Saudi Arabia has a lighted proof taken from his suffering there, but the Regime couldn’t deny even one .

Among the meaningless statements shrouded with the gloss publicity that try to polish the ugly face of the Regime ,was the statement of Foreign Minister (Saud al-Faisal) at the joint ministerial meeting of so - called the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) and the European Union which has been held recently in Proxil .

Despite that his statement did not vary than other statements of Saudi officials ,  but there were some matters stated in it we see it is better to stop on them and make clear its sophisms so we may be not  deceived by it .

1 - The Saudi Regime has no legality and constitutionality which qualify it to rule . It did not come to power on the base of consultation , voting or the satisfaction of people .

The kingdom in order to grant legality to its regime, it has established a religious establishment consists of a group of devious clerics and Sultan's preachers who issue judgments and interpret Islamic laws and teaching according to the please of the Regime .

The Regime and those clerics give justifications for their coercive policy and illegal practices . They consider anyone who opposes this policy as a separatist of Islam.

The Saudi government takes Islam and the slogan of (application of Sharia) as a weapon against anyone who tries to criticize the regime or reveal its injustice and depravity .

Saud al-Faisal the Minister of Foreign Affairs has pointed out to this case by his speech reported on 30 / 05 / 2000 by Riyadh Radio broadcast : (( We see that the unfair and gross campaign against the kingdom related of human rights , reflects either no knowledge and familiarity of the Islamic regime of this country which based on Sharia  and Islamic laws or it expresses an unjustified prejudice which may insult to a belief taken up by more than 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide .

His speech aimed procrastination , delay , familiarity and deceiving international opinion.

The Islamic World  and our people couldn’t accept these claims which  show that the Regime bases on Shari`a and Islamic laws while it has no written constitution.

2 - The Saudi Basic System is formed of meaningless titles which couldn’t be applied practically . We believe that it does not provide anything new . It settles the control and despotism and puts all the authorities even the judicial one under the control of the king .

How do we guarantee the independence and justice of the judiciary while it is dependent  to the Ministry of Interior and Justice , and both the ministries are dependent to the king ?

3 - Saud al-Faisal has criticized the representative of the chairmanship of the European Union who delivered an address at the latest session of UN Commission about the human rights in the country .

Riyadh Radio broadcast stated : "The Prince has expressed his regret towards that address which suggests no awareness of the political and judicial system.

Saud al-Faisal and other members of the Regime have lied to people until they accepted their lie as true .

Do they want people to consider the lies and the empty slogans , the royal decrees and decisions which issued on their temper as a political regime or a judicial system?

4- Riyadh broadcast also quoted al-Faisal saying “ As carrying out its commitment to the (Convention against Torture) the kingdom has established a commission composed of various governmental bodies in order to investigate allegations of torture and other instances of individual transgressions.” Here are some questions are raised ;such as:

a.If the Regime claims that its political and justice system are perfect and guarantee people’s rights and the regime is complying with Sharia, then why it criticizes the other human rights groups that try to observe its system.

The establishment of that committee lacks of an important principle , it is the independence which guarantees its neutrality and showing the facts. It should deal with cases by justice and redress.

Why did this step come late ?

Why did the Regime accede to the (Convention against Torture) late while it does not comply with Islamic teaching that prohibits torture and disregardness ?

Why does the decision of setting up that committee and the  accession to the (Convention against Torture) come after the increase of reports and statements which accused the Regime of practicing torture ?

b. The Saudi regime has denied practicing torture with the detainees in its jails , and al-Faisal has considered all the reports just allegations and the commission tries to investigate them. Then what is the role of that commission while the use of torture just allegations ?

 

c.Saud al-Faisal has pointed out that the use of torture against detainees , if there were , are individual transgression and not adopted by the authorities.

In fact , the torture is practiced systematically and carried out with modern and technical methods and with the use of instrument and tools imported from foreign countries. The information is taken from the statements reported by the media and the testimonies of thousands former  prisoners.

Are the hundreds of people who died in Saudi prisons or others who were released with handicaps and deep-rooted diseases due to individual transgression?

If is it true , why couldn’t the Regime bring the perpetrators of torture to justice ? But on the contrary it dignified and advanced them .

 

Saudi Regime : "We have nothing to hide".

Finally , the Saudi Regime tries to pretend before the world with meekness and innocence and its human rights record is clear without violations . A lot of Saudi officials have declared that "they have nothing to hide .

In this case we ask the Regime to reveal the circumstances of Maitham al-Bahr's killing , the Shi'a student who was arrested in 1996 and died in al Dammam Central Hospital of complications arising from detention and torture.

Also, the killing of Mohammad al-Hayek, the Shi`a citizen who was arrested in 1996 , and then his family was notified of his death without delivering his body to them.

And the killing of the citizen Ahmad al-Mulablab who died in the prison of so - called the Committee for the Propagation of  Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (CPVPV).