The Saudi regime launched a wave of arrests

The COMMITTEE   FOR  THE  DEFENSE  OF  HUMAN  RIGHTS  IN

THE  ARABIAN  PENINSULA 

DATE  : 7 / 4/ 2002

NO  : 110 / H /2002

On 5/4/2002, the Saudi regime launched a wave of arrests against the citizens after the public peaceful demonstrations which took place on Friday by people who expressed their solidarity and support towards their Palestinian brethren. Among the detainees was Sheikh Abdulhamid AL Sheikh Mubarak who led the demonstration of Dhahran protested Israeli military actions in Palestine.

His house in Hufuf, Salihiya district in Ihsaa was attacked by members of al-Mabahith al-`Amma and searched thoroughly. The authorities arrested his son Mohammad a student in Petroleum University for sometime and then released.

The regime also arrested two citizens participated in a demonstration took place in Awwamiyah village in Qatif, they are:

1 - Ahmad Ali Hassan al-Nimir, a university student from Dammam.

2 - Isa Mohammad Hussain al-Mahammad Ali from Dammam.

The peaceful assembly and demonstration are basic rights and forms of freedom of expression, but they are considered as forms of mutiny by a dictatorial regime which prohibits all forms of peaceful expressions.

We call on our people in Hejjaz to follow this peaceful and cultural behavior to express their opinions and to protest any attack upon their political, economic and social rights by the regime , these rights guaranteed by Islam and human rights treaties.

Also , we call on human rights groups especially the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to pressure the Saudi regime to give up the terrorist policy and to release the detainees of al-Jauf, Sakkaka, Dhahran and Awwamiyah demonstrations , and to release dozens of religious scholars and citizens who are still held in Saudi prisons.