THE Middle Eastern nations declared as “key international partners” by Boris Johnson have appalling track records on human rights.
His visit to Saudi Arabia comes just days after the state executed 81 people in the largest known mass execution in the kingdom in modern history.
The Prime Minister also met with United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, which also has capital punishment and a long history of detaining political opponents.
Here we look at some of the worst examples carried out by the states in recent years.
Mass execution of 81 people
The event last Saturday signalled an “appalling escalation” in Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty, Amnesty International said. The individuals had been convicted of a wide range of offences, ranging from murder and armed robbery to “disrupting the social fabric and national cohesion” and “participating in and inciting sit-ins and protests”.
READ MORE: Liz Truss tries desperately to justify Boris Johnson's trip to Saudi Arabia
Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “This execution spree is all the more chilling in light of Saudi Arabia’s deeply flawed justice system, which metes out death sentences following trials that are grossly and blatantly unfair, including basing verdicts on “confessions” extracted under torture or other ill-treatment.”
92 executions so far this year
So far in 2022, 92 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia. Last year the reported 67 executions included Mustafa Hashem al-Darwish, who was arrested in 2015 for protest-related offences when he was aged 17. The charges included "seeking to disturb security by rioting" and "sowing discord”.
Human rights groups said his trial had been unfair and came despite assurances the kingdom had abolished the death penalty for minors. His family received no warning about the execution in advance and only learned about it online.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson declares Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates 'key international partners'
The assassination of Jamal Khashoggi
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been largely shunned by the West after it was alleged he ordered the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. The US-based journalist was a vocal critic of Saudi Arabia’s rulers and was murdered and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2018.
A UN investigation concluded his death "constituted an extrajudicial killing for which the state of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is responsible” and there was "credible evidence" to warrant an investigation into Prince Mohammed and other high-level Saudi officials. Instead, a Saudi court sentenced eight men found responsible for the murder to prison terms of seven to 20 years in a trial criticised for lacking transparency.
Raif Badawi
Prominent blogger and human rights defender Raif Badawi was detained by Saudi authorities in 2012 and subsequently jailed for creating an online forum for public debate and accusations that he insulted Islam. He was also sentenced to a punishment of 1000 lashes, the first 50 of which were meted out in a public square in 2015.
Mohamed al-Bokari
Yemeni LGBTI rights defender Mohamed al-Bokari is thought to still be in jail in Saudia Arabia after being sentenced to 10 months in prison for charges related to "violating public morality, promoting homosexuality online and imitating women". He was arrested after he appeared in a video supporting the rights of LGBTI people.
War in Yemen
There are human rights concerns over the role of Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen, including reports of unlawful airstrikes that have killed and injured civilians. Saudi Arabia has led a coalition against Iran-backed rebels for years, causing a disastrous economic slide in Yemen. The UN has warned of mass starvation and famine over rising hunger levels.
Political parties and demonstrations banned in UAE
In the UAE, which comprises seven sheikhdoms run by ruling families, political parties and demonstrations are banned. In July 2013, a group of 94 including lawyers, university lecturers and students were accused of trying to seize power in the Emirates and 60 remain jailed as of last year.
The trial of the UAE-94 was criticised by human rights groups, which said “credible” allegations of torture were not investigated. Last year a report by a UN expert found a group of the activists still in prison were enduring conditions that may amount to torture -which was denied by the UAE.
Mary Lawlor, the UN's special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, also said they "never been detained in the first place for legitimately exercising the freedoms that all people are entitled to.”
READ MORE: Boris Johnson urged to cancel Saudi Arabia visit
Persecution of Ahmed Mansoor
Ahmed Mansoor, is known as the UAE’s most celebrated human rights activist, including winning an award for raising concerns about arbitrary detention, torture and degrading treatment in the Gulf state. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2018 for "defaming" the country on social media.
Human rights groups say authorities have refused all requests to make the charges and court rulings public and that he has been held in an isolation cell deprived of basic necessities.
Conditions for migrant workers
The sponsorship system for migrant workers which exists in the UAE has long raised concerns over leaving many foreign nationals vulnerable to exploitation and forced labour. It ties the visas of migrant workers to their employers, meaning they cannot change jobs or leave without permission. If they do, workers face punishment for “absconding”, including fines, prison and deportation.
Last year, Amnesty International highlighted the detention and deportation of at least 375 African migrant workers, reporting they had been seized from their homes during the night, detained incommunicado for up to two months in prison and deported without any due process.
Treatment of women
Women remain unequal with men under Emirati law, according to the most recent report in 2020 by Amnesty International. By law, married women are obliged to “look after the house” as a “right” held by husbands –although legislation had been amended to remove a husband’s right to “courteous obedience” from his wife. Judges however can still determine whether a married woman is permitted to leave the house and to work.
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